When Two Become One - spin-off of St Nightfalls
by C.N96
Summary: When famous Vampire socialite Eleanor Deveroux and her best friend, Sierra Mahoney, meet a group of men; they swap fame and fortune for desks and drama. Problems ensue... This story is based around characters Stefan and Damon Salvatore from "The Vampire Diaries" along with some characters and tweaked settings from my previous novel, "St. Nightfalls"
1. Chapter 1

'Can you seriously be careful with that? I'm not paying $1200 for a vase today...' I say as I gesture to the brightly coloured glass Sierra is flipping around in her hands. She lifts her head and I see her ever-obvious eye roll, before she places the vase back in the cabinet.

'It's not that I wouldn't pay that much for a vase; it's that I don't want to pay that _today_...' I mumble under my breath as I continue to wander around the store.

I shake my head. She wears me out sometimes, having to watch her. She has the attention span of a toddler and the temper of a pubescent teenage girl; but she's not all bad. Sierra is the type of girl who will catch your eye from across the room, but once you start talking to her you'd wish you hadn't; because she never shuts up. But for a 17 year old high school dropout, she's remarkably smart and generally well rounded. That's probably because she's been around for a lot longer than every other 17 year old on the planet. I guess that's a benefit of being a Vampire.

I made her back in the 90s. She had snuck into a bar, underage and drunk herself stupid, before attempting to pick up another glass which she smashed in the palm of her hand. Of course I smelt the blood, but I wasn't drawn to her. I did keep an eye on her though; who knew who or what else was in the bar. After a few hours she had disappeared out a side entrance, where I found her basically dead in an alley. Alcohol poisoning. In a split second, she was on her way to being like me. Unfortunately, it wasn't like anyone was going to miss poor little Sierra Mahoney.

She is my best friend. She hasn't left my side since then. I don't know what I'd do without her. But enough about her though. Let me tell you about me.

My name is Eleanor Deveroux. I was born in 1373 and I am a vampire. I have been a vampire since 1381; which makes me a 635 year old vampire. In vampire terms, that's not really that old; But around here, it's probably as old as they get. I was 18 when I was made, I don't remember who made me though. What I remember was waking up, leaning against a rickety old abandoned barn in the middle of a field, which is now somewhere in London. My sister was Mary De Bohun, first wife of Henry IV. I guess that made me a sister in law to a King. There was a rumour that I imprisoned my sister to claim her share of the family inheritance not long before they were married, which is outrageously untrue. I believe that's the reason I was turned. I wasn't liked. When I woke, I ran. I changed my last name so I wouldn't be found. Long story short, centuries later; I'm here in America.

I've done a lot over the years I've spent here. I've worked as a maid, servant, nurse, nanny, waitress, bartender... you name it, and chances are I've done it. It hasn't been all that bad. Not like the Black Plague bad. Boy that was a rough time; I remember my mother telling me about it. I'm just glad I never had to experience it myself first hand. Living for so long, things you once used to value seem insignificant. Money, family; it's nothing anymore. Your family dies and you live on, starting afresh every couple of decades. You save enough money to last any mere human a lifetime. It's not like you need it as a vampire; you just compel what you want and get it for free. But living like a human fills in the endless amount of time you have here. It becomes entertaining. I've done some acting work in a couple of movies and recently some modelling for victorias secret. I guess my career is like Kendall Jenner's', mixed with Dakota Johnsons. I've done a bit of both, but I'm not very good at either, and I'm not famous for either. I guess I'm one of those arrogant socialites who is just famous for being famous...

Sierra keeps me sane nowadays. Without her friendship, id go mad. I never have to worry about losing her, or starting a new life in a new place and watching her grow old and die, she just comes with me. It's a small comfort in a world like ours today...

'Eleanor...' Sierra calls, pulling me out of my internal self-monologue daydream. When I turn, she's pointing to a huge mirror positioned on the wall. 'What about this? We could put it right above the table in the entrance way?' I smile. It's beautiful; it's got to be wider than my arm span, with elegant chrome swirls holding the glass in place. It would suit our apartment; I wander around the shelves to where she's standing. I lift the tag; its $2600.

'Well, it would look nice. But I don't know, do we need it?' I ask, looking at her. She grins.

'Absolutely. What if Blake Lively were to walk in here tomorrow and buy it, and it appeared in the background of her next 'at home' magazine cover. How would you feel?' She's waving her arms around, flicking her dark brown hair over her shoulders as if to impersonate her, and posing like a model.

'Okay fine. Go ask the cashier to put it on my tab and deliver it within the next few days. After that little display, I need a coffee...' I say as gesture to her. She makes me laugh.

She heads off to the counter as I make my way to the Starbucks kiosk in the middle of the mall. People are darting in and out of shops as I pass, whispering and pointing. This generally happens quite a bit. People recognise me and ask for a picture or something. What are they called? Selfies... it's not that I don't enjoy it all, but after a while it's so repetitive. After working my way through the crowd of staring people I get to the starbucks counter. A mousey looking girl grins from ear to ear as she comes to serve me. _Oh here we go..._

'Hello, welcome to Starbucks, what can I get for you today' she says the usual speech with extreme enthusiasm. Her cheeks look like they're hurting because she's smiling so hard. I smile a little.

'I'll just get a Tall Latte Macchiato please. To take away...' I say as I reach into my handbag to find my purse.

'Of course! You're Eleanor Deveroux, right?' She says, her mouth falling open slightly as she presses away at the register. I grab my purse and fish for some cash. This sort of excitement from a person is exhausting...

'Yep, that's me.' I say without looking at her. _I'd just like to get my coffee and go please..._

'I am a huge fan. The rhinestone bra you wore at the Victorias' secret show last week was incredible. You're so good at what you do! And so lucky...' The cashier girl is shaking; I can hear the vibrations as I place the correct change on the counter.

'Thanks love, that's very sweet of you...' I say in a rush, hoping to end the conversation. At that point the coffee machine begins to whistle and the shop seems to roar into life. I try to drown out all the conversations happening around me as I head to collect my drink from the other end of the counter.

'Tall Latte Macchiato for Eleanor...' The man working the machine calls as he puts the drink out. _Finally..._ I reach for my drink just as a man picks it up too. He's at least 5"9, with a mop of black hair that almost hangs in his eyes. He glances down at me before quickly turning to leave.

'Um, excuse me. That's my drink...' I say, taking a step towards him, as I point to the cup in his hand. His face is hard; stern. He looks mad, his thick brows gathering in the middle. His blue eyes are piercing; I swear I can almost feel him looking into my soul... yet the 3 day old stubble on his incredibly chiseled jaw line makes him look... intimidating. I feel like in that moment, I've had the wind knocked out of me. Like the air has been pulled from my lungs in an instant. I take a step back before composing myself again. He was literally stunning in every way. _Who is this...?_

'I don't really care. I've been waiting 15 minutes for my drink and they keep pumping out orders except mine. I'm tired of waiting, so this will do.' He says aggressively, pausing for just a moment to shrug a little. _How rude..._

'Well, I'm sorry but that is mine and I'd rather you not take it. Look. My name is even on it.' I say as I try to keep my voice from breaking. _Don't stare. Do not stare._ I point at the black marker scribbled on the foam cup.

'Like I said, I don't care. You wait for them to remake one for you, if I don't consume caffeine now...' he mumbles off, before quickly shaking his head. He keeps walking to leave the shop.

'That's so rude. Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?' I'm getting frustrated now, my pulse is quickening. I grab his arm to stop him from walking, lucky there was a lid on the cup because it probably would've spilled everywhere from the force. In the blink of an eye, his free hand had pried mine of his arm and was holding it hostage between us. That was when I knew I'd made a mistake. His look changed. He went from intimidating to threatening; his eyes squinted in a glare that could boil blood.

'Don't. Ever. Come near me again...' He says. I pull back and watch him walk quickly from the cafe; with my coffee.

I stand there dumbfounded for a moment, completely unaware of what actually just happened. My heartbeat slows and I begin to breathe again.

'The hot ones are always so god damn rude...' I say to myself quietly, as I leave Starbucks; without the coffee I had paid for. Id almost made it back to the Home decor store where Sierra was, when it hit me. I stopped in my tracks. The way I felt when I grabbed his arm...

 _He was a vampire._


	2. Chapter 2

* **I shouldve written in the first chapter that no chapters have been proof read, only bare basically spell-checked through microsoft word so i apologize for mistakes or grammatical errors! im up to 30,000 words now and i just dont have time to go back to the beginning and re-check it all!  
ALSO please note Eleanor has no resemblance or relation to Elena from VD, shes basically the opposite***

I walked back to Sierra as fast as a human could, who was sitting outside the Home Decor shop on a bench. I had just about reached her when she saw me coming and stood up to greet me.

'The woman working there said it'll be delivered on Friday. 3 days time is as fast as they can do it at the moment...' She began to speak before I wrapped my hand around her wrist tightly

'We have to go. Now.' I whisper in quiet yet stern voice. I start dragging her towards the parking lot. Her feet slide across the slick floor as she I pull her along behind me.

'Wait wait, what is the matter with you? What's going on?' She says as she finally puts the brakes on. She yanks me backwards and looks at me. I can't speak. I just stare at her wide eyed.

She frowns 'What's happening?'

'Someone's here. I don't know who he is or how old he is or anything but...' I break off mid sentence to look around me. There's no one in range to hear our conversation, humans wouldn't. I lower my voice more

'There is a vampire in the mall right now and we have to leave or our cover could be blown if he tells...' I speak fast.

'If I know that he's a vampire, he'll know that I am one.'

My brain can't function properly. If we lose our cover now, were done for. We won't be moving as we want anymore, we'll be on the run from authorities. The government knows about us, but they mostly turn a blind eye so normal citizens don't find out. But if it's broadcast it causes a huge incident. It's done so before. Those vampires are no longer alive...

Sierras eyes widen. 'Where is he now? We need to...'

'No!' I cut her off. 'We have to _leave._ '

She nods. We make our way to the exit, following the flow of human traffic. We take the escalator to the first floor; trying not to get noticed and avoid a hold up. Just as we thought we were in the clear with the exit in sight, I freeze. I grab sierras hand and tug her back behind a structural column.

'He's there.' The tall, dark and incredibly handsome man is standing near the doors. He's not by himself anymore; there are people with him talking to him. There are 6 of them all up. I can't make out the entire face, but he's got a cup with my name on it in his hand.

'He's the tall one with the coffee.'

Sierra slowly edges around the column to see. After a few moments she looks at me, then back at him.

'Are you sure that's him? I mean, he doesn't really look...'

In the distance he's turned around to face us. He's talking to another man, who looks similar to him.

'Whoa. Holy cow' Sierra says, her mouth wide open in astonishment. 'You spoke to him?'

I shake my head, 'Kind of. Not really. He stole my coffee, when I confronted him I felt... weird.'

'He's probably the hottest man I've ever seen in my life! It's not possible for a human to have looks like that...' she says a little too loudly. A smile comes across her face.

'Oi. Focus here...' I say, slapping her arm. She jumps a little.

'What do you mean you felt weird?' she frowns

'I've never felt it before. I don't know how to describe it...' I'm getting flustered. I take a deep breath. 'We've got to get out of here'

Sierra is still gawking at the 6 men. 'Why don't we just say hi? If they're vampires, they obviously don't want to be caught out either. We could truce if we have to...'

 _That's a good idea Eleanor, why wouldn't you think of that. Duh._

I feel stupid for not thinking of that too. I chuckle. 'Well. I didn't think of that. But I don't know if I want some random guys knowing... what if they tell more vampires and then they all come after us?'

'You're stressing! We've been hanging around for 3 and a half years now with no friends. If it goes bad, we'll just kill them another time' she says, with a cheeky yet evil grin on her face. She's not kidding. If it did go bad that's what would happen. She's a lot smarter than I give her credit for. _I should be easier on her..._

'You're the famous one; one of them will surely recognize you and worship at your feet.' She giggles

'No way! That one stole my drink; I have no reason to go over there.'

'I have 6 great reasons to go over there...' She says, and I can tell from her eye movements that she's checking them all out. She leans against the column and I roll my eyes.

'What are they saying?' She asks me. My hearing is more precise than hers. I concentrate on them all.

 _"_ _How about we should finally go and see that new star wars? I mean, it's better than sitting around in the common room all day..."_

 _"_ _The only screening is late, I doubt Aria would let us stay out that late."_

 _"_ _We should ask anyway. There might be some babing nerd girls there"_

 _"_ _Enough..."_

They sound like a bunch of geeks. 'They're talking about seeing a movie tonight.' I tell Sierra. She scrunches her nose

'Why are the hot ones always dorks?' She shakes her head. 'What else?'

I tune in again, this time, peeking my head around our column hiding place to watch them.

 _"_ _Look, we shouldn't be wasting our time with stupid human activities."_ It's him, the coffee guy.

 _"_ _Don't be such a pussy, Damon. Lighten up, let's go hunting instead..."_ The guy who looks similar to Coffee Guy pipes up.

I tap sierra on the shoulder, 'The guy that stole my coffee, his name is Damon. They're all vampires.' I tell her, all the while still listening.

 _"_ _...well, I have more important things to be doing than running around the woods like headless chickens. There are bigger issues at present..."_ Damon looks agitated.

 _"_ _Dude, why does your cup say 'Eleanor'?"_ A European looking guy says. He is huge; built like a house. Very scary looking.

I gasp. This is it. This is the moment it all comes crashing down. Sierra must've heard my quick intake of breath and she grabs my shoulder.

"What?"

 _"_ _...Some bimbo in Starbucks. I waited ages for mine and then she waltzed right on in and got hers straight away. I wasn't waiting anymore."_

I hear a collective laugh spread through the group.

 _"_ _You stole a random chicks coffee? Brutal..."_

 _"_ _Yeah well, I needed it. Plus the workers in there were getting all weird. I think she was some sort of famous person..."_

I don't know why I'm still listening, I know what's coming. But I'm intrigued.

 _"_ _Wait! Eleanor, as in, blonde hair blue eyed modelling goddess?"_ A short and stocky man speaks; his hair is almost ginger, and he's the shortest of group. Probably not much taller than my 5"2 self. I sense that he swings the other way.

 _"_ _I don't know, I don't follow that stuff. But it sounds like her. She got annoyed so I think I frightened her to high heaven."_ He snorts as I giggle quietly to myself. If only he knew.

 _"_ _Damon you stole Eleanor Deverouxs' coffee! Do you not understand who you just ran into and what you just did?"_ The short one is getting worked up, but the others are laughing at him.

 _"_ _Tone down the homosexual buddy. Oi, the cars here. Let's get back in time for last class..."_

Out the front doors of the mall a silver Rolls Royce pulls up in the set down zone. 'Sierra they don't know!'

'What? Are you sure?'

'Yes, they spoke about me but they said nothing about _us_. He thought he scared me though...' I laugh again at the thought. Sierra looks from around the blockage.

'They're leaving, quick!' She says, and in a second she's headed towards the group.

'Sierra don't! Shit...' It's too late now. I hope she's got a plan. I follow along not far behind.

She jogs over to them, waving to get their attention. 'Hello!' she shouts. The stocky one stops and turns to her.

'yeah? Can I help you?' She finally reaches him with a huge smile on her face.

'Hi, I'm sorry to bother you but I couldn't help but notice your Ralph Lauren polo. It's so nice! Is that from the Summer Checklist?' She says, reaching to touch the sleeve of his shirt. I cringe, this is bad.

A smile lights up his face. 'Yes! I bought it the other day, how did you know?'

I can't believe she pulled this off. _I really really need to give her more credit..._ By this time the rest of the group has stopped and turned to see what the commotion was about.

'I just know about fashion. Its suits your complexion.' She compliments him. 'I'm Sierra.'

'I'm Daniel. It's so great to finally meet someone who knows about fashion.' He beams, glaring over his shoulder at his friends. As he turns back his mouth hangs open. I'm by Sierras side by now. He looks like he's about to faint.

'No way...'

'This is Eleanor. Eleanor this is Daniel' she looks at me, like she knows her plan is working. _He seems nice enough..._

I extend my hand towards him. He nervously shakes it and grins harder. 'Oh my god. You're Eleanor Deveroux. Like, in the flesh!' This guy has some serious enthusiasm.

'That's me. Nice to meet you.' I say before quickly looking up at the rest of the guys. They're standing there. Still. Even Damon the coffee steal-er. I smile at them. They all turn to look at him; trying to process the information they've been given. I look at Damon, and he narrows his eyes at me. It's the fact that he was so rude that makes me so angry, not the coffee. The other guys walk back to us, except for Damon. They're all smiling, which is a good start.

'Hey, I'm Sierra' she says, shaking everyone elses' hands. They seem pretty happy to see us. _We're not terrible on the eyes..._

I take a few steps towards them, when I suddenly feel a bit nervous. I shake everyone's hands too. Daniel, Marco, Roman and Louis. Marco is the European one that spoke just before, maybe he's Greek? Vampires from around the world. When I get to the man who looks similar to Damon, I pause. He's just as attractive as Damon, with a couple of different facial features. I smile and hold out my hand, which he takes and places a kiss on the back. I blush.

'I'm Stefan. Pleasure to meet you, Eleanor' he smiles a smile that reaches only one side of his face. It's lopsided but... it's sexy as hell. 'I apologize for the rudeness of my brother. I believe you two had an encounter?' he says as he lets go of my hand.

 _Oh wow. The two of them are brothers._ 'Yes, we did. No need to apologize. I understand some people have the manners of a brick wall.' I say, loud enough for him to hear me. The rest of them chuckle, and I hear him snort. Stefan smiles.

'Yes. He lacks social skills. Don't let that deter you two from the rest of us though.' He winks at me. I think my heart skipped a beat. I flush.

'Never' I say. _He's very formal; he mustn't be very young..._

Damon steps forward towards us. 'We have to be going now...' he says hastily, as he makes a sharp turn towards their car. Stefan shakes his head.

'Ignore him. So, what brings you two here?' He asks me. I smile.

'I could ask you guys the same question...'' I say, I glance at Sierra.

'We just had some spare time classes.' Daniel interrupts me. The boys glare at him like he's just inserted his foot into his mouth.

'Oh, you guys go to school here?' I ask. I'm getting more and more curious by the minute.

'No...' Stefan says sternly. '...Not around here' he adds. A look of worry comes over his face. Is he... panicking?

Sierra frowns. 'No? So where are you all from, why are you guys here?' She almost laughs at the end of her sentence. I see a hint of a smile reach her face.

I look back at Stefan. His mouth is ajar. 'Well... were from interstate. Um... we attend a private college...'

'You guys go to the Academy?!' Sierra says, rather loudly. I stare at her and she instantly realises her mistake.

 _We are NOT supposed to know about the academy, only vampires know about it. You've blown your cover. Abort mission..._

The guys are staring at each other, speechless.

'How do you know about the academy?' Daniel says, narrowing his eyes at Sierra. _I have to fix this._

'Well...' I speak up before Sierra stuffs up again. '...When you know as many people as I do, you hear rumours. It's a celebrity thing...' I say. I sound like a total arrogant bitch, but this should work. I hope...

Stefan looks at the boys. They're shocked that we know. 'So, you two aren't...'

'No!' Sierra shouts way too enthusiastically. I stare at her again. _Shut. Up. Sierra._

'What she means is, we've had our suspicions about the Academy for a while now; after hearing so much about it. But, we only know what other people tell us first hand. Like, Leonardo Di Caprio...' Yep. He's a vampire; which is why he still looks like he did in Titanic. He's been to the Academy loads of times, so the boys would know him. He's a good friend of mine, one of the only people that knows about Sierra and I.

Sierra nods, knowing that the story were spinning is actually making sense.

'You know Leonardo Di Caprio personally?' Daniel squeals, beginning to "fangirl" again.

'Of course I know...' I make myself shut up. "...Yes. I do. But look, we don't even care. If anything, we're... intrigued.' I say, grinning at Sierra.

The Academy is called Lestivas Catholic College Academy, but everyone calls it the academy for short. It's not really catholic, it's just a cover up as to why no human can apply for their school (Vampires get sent a letter of acceptance when its decided they can attend, which is rare); and why it's located on a privately owned plot of land in Adirondack Park in upstate New York. It used to be called St Nightfalls Academy, but recently a change of headmistress meant a change of name. Humans know that the academy exists, but they don't know how or why only certain people are accepted. It's a prestigious Vampire-only school. A school that Sierra and I have been trying for decades to get into; just for something different to do.

It starts making sense now. When they were talking about how "Aria" wouldn't let them; they were talking about the Headmistress of the Academy. I've heard she's some incredible newbie vampire with powers or something. I doubt it, but still it peaks my curiosity. Sierra and I have tried making phone calls, posting letters and sending emails to this school, with no luck.

Yet here are 6 men that attend the college standing in front of us. It must've clicked to both sierra and I at the same time, because the look on her face said she was plotting something. _This could be our way in..._

All of a sudden, I see Damon reappear out of the corner of my eye. He storms towards us with a look on his face like he's about to kill. He's super mad. He stops a few feet away from Stefan. He must've heard the conversation from the car.

'We are going. Now.' He growls, as he gives Stefan his death stare.

'Wait a minute, Damon, this is actually...

'I said...' he interrupts him. 'We. Are. Going. Right now.'

I swear I could almost see the hunger veins protrude from underneath his eyes. I stand there in silence wondering what on earth is going to happen next. Daniel and the others have already started heading towards the exit, but Stefan is standing his ground.

The tension grows. I can feel my adrenaline begin to flow through me. Last time I was in a situation like this, it turned into a dominance fight, and it did not end well.

'Brother, do not make me force you...' Damon growls again, this time his voice deeper. I begin to hear a rumble in Stefans' throat. I can sense how scared sierra is becoming. I quickly place my hand on Stefans' shoulder to distract them for a moment.

'What about...' I say slowly, making sure they don't turn against me. '...You all come around to our apartment for some drinks. It's a long drive back and you don't have to leave just yet, surely you don't want to go on an empty stomach.' My voice is shaky. It doesn't matter how old I am, if these blokes were to turn on me, I'd be dead.

'Yeah! We have an excellent bartender in the building.' Sierra grins. I know exactly what's going through her mind.

Stefan looks at me. His brown eyes drill into my soul. I shiver before quickly withdrawing my hand. He looks at Damon.

'No. Were leaving.' Damon says, as he turns on his heels and slowly heads for the exit again. The guys are standing by the car waiting for Damon to get in first. He's obviously in charge of them. _Shit. No they can't leave yet. They need to get us our acceptance letters!_

'We're having a party tonight anyway; you may as well join us. Besides, when was the last time you guys went to a party?' I smile jokingly. Stefan smiles back, but Damon doesn't change. 'Leo will be there...' I say, hoping Daniel is eavesdropping.

I don't know whether or not the intake of breath that followed was sierras or Daniels. I just said something that I can't guarantee. Sierra pulls out her phone from her handbag and begins furiously texting.

'Damon, lighten up. Honestly imagine the connections you could make with the people that show up to this. Insiders. Plus, do you really want to explain to Daniel why he can't see one of his idols in the only opportunity he's ever going to get?' Stefan gestures to Daniel, whose eagerly grinning in the background.

Damon is silent. He glares at me, his eyes narrowing as if he's getting angrier.

'It's settled! Come around at 5...' I say enthusiastically before anyone has a chance to say no. I quickly pull out a card from my bag which has my contact details on it and hand it to Stefan. He smiles. Damon snatches the card from his hand.

'Fifth Avenue. Really?' He says, unimpressed. I ignore his comment.

'It was lovely to meet you all' I say as I edge towards the exit. Sierra shakes Stefans' hand again and follows along closely behind. I smile as I pass the rest of them. 'See you later' I say, fluttering my eyelashes as I leave. _Got to make them want me so they get me my letter..._

'Bye!' Daniel shouts, as Sierra and I hop into our Range Rover that's pulled up behind their car. I press the window down, and shout as we drive away, 'Don't steal anymore coffees!' The last thing I heard in the distance as we drove out of the mall lot was laughter and the sound of someone being punched.


	3. Chapter 3

'That actually just happened!' Sierra squeals with delight as she clicks her seatbelt on.

'It did.' I say blandly, trying not to make a big deal out of it. 'Did you make the arrangements?"

She nods. 'It's the quickest, roughest party I've ever planned, but Leo will definitely be there.'

'They won't know the difference. Sierra this is our chance to get those letters.' I say seriously.

'I was thinking the same thing. But they won't have the authority to get us in will they?'

'I doubt it, but they might be able to get our feet in the door...' I pull out my phone from my bag. There's no photos of myself and sierra on any internet news sites at the moment, which saves us a lot of hassle down the track.

'So, I dibs Stefan.' Sierra grins. I look up at her for a moment then back at my phone.

'What.'

'I call shotgun. I dibs, okay?'

'Oh, Sierra I couldn't care less about that sort of thing, do whatever you want, just don't jeopardise our letters okay?' I say without looking at her. It's the truth. I don't care who she reserves... I don't think.

After about 20 minutes of driving, were dropped back at the apartment. We're greeted by the doorman and many workers on our way through the lobby. When the elevator reaches the floor I hear the sound of a vacuum cleaner in our penthouse. I frown as I open the door. _The maid should be done by now..._

As we head inside, I drop my bag and keys by the door. My penthouse is completely white, so it's often dirty and I'm rarely home to clean it. Grace, our maid, scurries over to us with a worried look on her face.

'Miss Deveroux, I am so sorry it is so late and I haven't finished, I tried very hard...'

I frown. 'What is it?'

She gulps. 'Well, when I arrived, there were things missing...'

'What!' I shout, storming past her to look into my living area. My TV is gone, along with some vases and decorative items I had placed around. 'Where the hell is my stuff?' I shout at Grace.

'Miss Deveroux, someone stole it. But don't worry! I made a list of everything that was missing and already gave it to the police. They've made this a high priority...'

'How the hell did someone break in? The doors are always locked!' I know I'm over reacting, it's just a few bits and pieces but my anger is overpowering.

'Eleanor, they'll get it back. Chill out...' Sierra says calmly as she walks over to the kitchen and gets me a drink. I take a deep breath as I walk to her.

'I just don't understand how this could happen in the first place...' I'm puzzled. She offers me a large glass of red liquid and I gladly accept it. 'Grace you can leave now. Don't worry about the rest of it.' I'm too exhausted to really process what's gone on today. 'I'm going to nap before everyone gets here. You'll be right?' I ask Sierra.

'Of course.' She smiles.

I down the contents of my glass and head up to my room. I slide off my heels and plop myself onto my bed. The posters creak and the canopy flies around from the force. I don't usually get tired, at least not this early in the day. I prop up the pillows and lean back. It's been so full on. I was robbed for crying out loud. I close my eyes, and as I drift into sleep, I imagine how great that coffee would've tasted if Damon hadn't of stolen it. At least he's drop dead gorgeous though...

I'm woken by the sounds of glasses clinking together and people muttering to each other. I groan and roll over to check the time; its 4.30pm

'Shit.' I throw myself off the bed in a hurry. The boys will be here soon. I sit down at my vanity table and quickly apply some make up. I don't really need it, but I may as well. I walk into the ensuite bathroom and drag the brush through my curly hair. _Thank god it's being nice to me today..._

'Sierra?' I shout, just before I stick my toothbrush in my mouth. In a few seconds, she appears in the doorway.

'Yeah?'

'What are you wearing? Like, how dressed up am I supposed to get...' I mumble through mint foam in my mouth, trying not to spit it everywhere.

She laughs 'Um, I'm just going to wear a nice dress. I thought you'd be done by now.'

I look at her with a look to say "No kidding..." 'I napped too long...' I empty my mouth and wipe it with a towel. 'How's it going out there? When are the others arriving?'

'It's all set. Leo said he won't be here until at least 6, along with most of the other guests. But as far as I know the boys will still be here at 5.'

'Good and the mini fridge?' I ask. We keep our vampire stuff in a separate fridge.

'Stocked. You're stressing. Why are you stressing?' she chuckles.

'I want that letter. If I have to show a bit of skin or bribe some men then I will...' I say as I walk past her back into my room and then into my walk-in closet. I spend a while searching for something to wear, but in the end I grab my favourite black dress off the rack and quickly pull it on.

'I think you're looking at this the wrong way...' Sierra is in the doorway again. '...They might be really nice guys. If we don't get in, wouldn't it just be nice to have some friends?'

I pause for a moment. She's got a point. 'No. I just want to do something different for a change.' Feelings are a nuisance. I pick up a pair of red Jimmy Choo heels and slip them on. I don't get to wear these much and they cost me a fortune.

'Why don't you do _someone_ different for a change...' she giggles, wagging her brows me. I roll my eyes at her.

'That's the last thing I need right now.'

'Fine, I'm going to finish getting dressed and start drinking now.' She turns and leaves. It'll be interesting to see her later after she's had a few.

As I walk back to my vanity to find a necklace, that's when I notice my jewellery box is open. I heart quickens. I lift the lid further and start rummaging around, trying to find my special necklace; a large sapphire pendant I got back in the 17th century. It's worth as much as a house, and it's extremely sentimental to me.

'It's gone...' I say, breathless. '...I can't believe it. Of all the things they could've stolen...' I run my fingers through my hair. Tears begin to well in my eyes, but I squeeze them shut to stop them from spilling over. Vampire tears are messy.

'Eleanor, they've arrived!' I hear Sierra call out from downstairs. It's already after 5. I regain my stability and take a deep breath.

'Let's get me a letter...' I tell myself as I head down the stairs.

As I reach the bottom, I notice that all the guys have changed their clothes. They've all scrubbed up very nicely.

'Hi, I'm glad you all turned up' I say as I walk towards them. They all look happy; except for Damon, who's leaning against the front door with his arms folded. Stefan smiles at me.

'It took some convincing, but we're here' He's smile reaches his eyes. Damn...

'Where is everyone?' Daniel asks.

'Oh they're coming soon; they've just got prior commitments they need to finish up with first.' Sierra chimes in. 'Who would like a drink?'

They all look at each other, and I can't help but laugh on the inside. They all nod. 'Stefan, come help me?' She waves her hand for him to follow her. She's so smooth. He shoots me another quick smile before he heads into kitchen with her.

I can't pull my eyes away from him. In all my 600 years, I don't think I've ever met a man so attractive; at least a man who didn't have an awful personality. _Like Damon..._ I snap out of my dreaming.

'Are we able to look around? I mean, this place is unbelievable...' Marco asks very polite. For someone so huge, he seems a bit shy.

'Oh of course, go for it.' I smile. He returns it, and they all walk off towards the recreation end of the apartment. They'll probably find the spa, or the pool table, or the cinema...

I quickly glance at Sierra, who is in the kitchen giggling like a teenager. She hasn't even attempted to get drinks. _Of course..._ I remember that Damon is still standing at the front door.

'You know, you can come in. We're not going to bite...' I say without even thinking. Shit. I realise the stupid ironic joke I've made once it's too late. _Sierra might, but I certainly won't..._ He continues to glare at me. I've invited him into my home and this is how he acts? I'm starting to get frustrated.

I groan. 'If you want to stand there all night then go ahead...' I gesture to the entrance way; I'm done trying. I quickly walk into the kitchen and leave Damon where he is. I move between Sierra and Stefan who are standing in the way and take out a class bottle from the large fridge. I almost forgot that i don't drink from the mini fridge...

'Eleanor...' Sierra tries to speak, but I quickly close the fridge and walk off before she can say anything more.

I head towards the other wing of my apartment. I can hear laughing and talking, and I instantly feel a bit better. I open the door to the pool room and see the four boys gathered around the pool table.

'Sorry, we should've asked...'

'No...' I cut Marco off. '...Don't be silly, I don't care; do what you want just don't break anything.' I laugh. Daniel smiles widely at me.

'Your house is unreal. We saw the other rooms; and the spa...' He sighs as he theatrically puts the back of his hand against his forehead. '...It's beautiful.' I genuinely laugh this time. I think Daniels the kind of man I could really get along with; gay or not.

'Thank you. That's very kind.'

'Where's Stefan?' Roman asks me. It's the first time I've heard him speak, and I'm taken aback.

'Um, he's still in the kitchen with Sierra. I don't know if they're getting drinks...'

'We didn't expect them to bring us any anyway...' Marco laughs, and the others laugh too. I don't really get why at first, and then I chose not to. _Don't even think about it. These men are your avenue into the college. That's it. Nothing more. Ever._

I down the last of my drink before leaving them too it. The boys seem almost inseparable. They must have been together for a long time; like brothers. I decide in that moment that their new collective nickname will be 'the pack'. I close the door behind me and smile. They're genuinely nice people. A sense of guilt washes over me, but I quickly move on. After so many years on this earth there's no point in feeling guilt over anything; it makes you weak and I am not weak. I head back to the kitchen to keep an eye on Sierra; I don't need her ruining any minute chance we have of these letters. I head back down the corridor to the living area and there I notice the doors to the balcony are open. Stefans not in the kitchen anymore, they must've gone outside. _Sierras really trying hard with this one._ I pull the doors closed and head back up to my room. Its 6pm now, and no one else has showed up. Not that I care, but I've got a pretty big promise to live up to with Daniel. He could actually be a new friend, if I care enough. I head upstairs and to my room and push the heavy double doors open and I gasp.

'Sorry... I, um, was just looking...' Damon is in my room. I don't know what to say, so I stand there for a moment in disbelief. _He's in my room..._

'I'll go check on the boys...' he says quickly as he heads towards the door.

'No!' I say, with a little too much effort. I try to recover. '...I mean... its fine. I don't care. I said everyone can look around...' I try to sound blasé. I care a little, but he can't know that. His arrogant self will probably just mock me. He pauses in his tracks. This is awkward. I head into my bathroom to wash my hands, to try and look like I had a reason to come in here in the first place. I can see in the mirror that he's walked to my vanity. I begin to panic. There's a lot of valuable stuff over there; god knows if there's stuff there that no one else should see. I take a deep breath and quickly dry my hands before going back to supervise my belongings.

'Where did you get this?' He asks as he turns to face me. He's picked up a small gold elephant figurine off my vanity. He frowns, examining it carefully. I really start to panic now; it's from the 16th century.

'I bought it from a jeweller in England a few years ago.' I lie. It was given to me by a prince.

'Really? It looks much older than a few years old...' He's right. The gold is dull and gems that adorn it are cloudy. It really looks old.

'Well, I don't know... it might be old, but I only got it a few years ago. I don't know much about it...' I try to stay calm but my voice is sounding strained. This is the first normal conversation I've had with him and its lurking on the edge of disaster. He places it back on the table before wandering around my room a bit more. I'm stuck standing in the middle of my room like a statue, unsure what to do next.

'Actually, a lot of the stuff in this room looks rather old...' He says, running his finger down a bedpost. The bed isn't anywhere near as old, but its quite extravagantly carved mahogany.

'Are you just going to stand here and insult the age my furniture?' I say seriously, but I'm joking more than I realise. He looks at me suspiciously.

To my astonishment, he laughs. Just for half a moment, but it was there. It's almost like his whole demeanour has changed now. Like, he's making an effort. I wonder if Sierra or Stefan has said anything. I won't hold my breath that he's going to begin to be nice; his first impression was made badly. I'm terrible at holding a grudge.

'No, I guess not...' he says smiling, as he turns and walks out the doors. I stand there, wondering what on earth has just happened.


	4. Chapter 4

After a few minutes, I head back to the living area. Everyone is sitting on the lounges; Sierra almost sitting on top of Stefan. For half a second I begin to feel jealous and then I remember that I don't care, and snap out of it. Even Damon is there.

'Sierra was telling us about how you're interested in going to college.' Daniel says, patting the couch next to him. I smile as I sit next to him.

'Yeah. I haven't decided where I want to go yet. But I think I'll just apply everywhere and see what happens' I grin at Sierra from across the room. I know exactly what she's playing at.

'Well, someone of your status would definitely get into Yale if you applied.' Daniel says. I look at him.

'I don't want to get in just because people know who I am...' I swat him on the shoulder playfully. I hear sierra snort from across the room. _That's actually exactly what I want to do, just not at Yale..._ I don't want to keep this conversation going so I quickly change it.

'So, what's it like, being how you guys are...' I say, acting as clueless as possible. I look around at them, they don't say anything.

'You're not supposed...' Damon begins but I hold up my hand to stop him.

'Yeah, but we do know. It's not like we have anyone to tell...' I gesture to Sierra who nods in agreement. '...You may as well tell us what its like, humour us.' I smile, and he doesn't return it. I knew it wouldn't last.

'Like everything it's got its pros and cons...' Stefan says quickly before Damon can get angry. '...however, it's not something I'd recommend becoming. If I had a choice I would've stayed human.' He says, a sad look comes over his face. I hear the pack mumble in agreement.

'So how old are you?' Sierra says, placing a hand on Stefans arm. He hesitates as he looks over at Damon. I'm sure he's nervous about telling "Humans" his age.

'Well, we were turned around the time of the civil war; Damon and I.'

'So, you've been around for a hundred years?' Sierra acts dumb.

'Closer to 150.' Stefan corrects her. She smiles lightly at him. 150 years isn't old but it's not young either. They'll know enough about things to keep up with me when it eventually comes out that were alike.

'And the rest of you?' I look around.

'We're between 50 and 100 years old. Geez Eleanor, don't you know it's rude to ask a man their age...' Daniel laughs next to me. I can't help but laugh too. He's so kind hearted and gentle. I might actually keep this one around.

'Sorry...' I say playfully. '...But what happened? How did you become like this?' I aim my question towards Stefan. Sierra tightens her grip on his arm and I frown a little.

As I look up, Damon has stood from the couch. 'We're leaving.' He says sternly before heading for the door.

'Wait, what? Why is that...?' I begin, but I shut up when I see the look on Damons face. He's paused to glare at me.

'We don't have to explain our lives to a bunch of rich city girls we met a few hours ago. This isn't happening.' He continues for the door.

'Damon, can you not...' Daniel tries to interject but fails.

'No. We are going back to campus now, and we won't be coming back again. Let's go.'

I'm shocked, my mouth hangs open.

'You guys don't have to leave yet, look we didn't mean...' Sierra stands up to address Damon.

'We can't leave yet, Leonardo Di Caprio hasn't arrived yet!' Daniel says. I can hear the hurt in his voice.

'I don't give a fuck.' Damon is furious; I can hear a growl building in his throat. 'If you don't leave now, ill have you expelled.' He heads out the door and slams it behind him. The pack has stood up by now and I look at them all.

'We're really sorry.' Marco says politely. I shake my head.

'Don't be its not your fault.'

'It's a touchy subject for Damon. Especially talking to humans about it.' Stefan says as he walks over to me. He shakes my hand. 'It was a pleasure to meet you, Eleanor Deveroux.' he smiles at me. They all begin to head for the door when I freeze.

'Wait! You guys can't just leave like this.' I say getting flustered. I can feel my chance slipping through my fingers by the second.

'We're sorry. We'd love to stay and get to know you more, but Damons got a large amount of authority in the academy. If he wants us expelled, it will happen.' Marco says. _Of course, Damon the awful one has the authority to get us our letters, that'd be right..._

'Why don't you guys come back tomorrow without Damon then?' sierra asks

Stefan shakes his head. 'We have to go back to campus tonight. It'll be at least another three weeks before were able to leave again; longer if Damon tells the headmistress about everything.'

I panic, thinking of a way to keep them here. This is falling apart at the seams.

'We'll drive you' I say quickly. 'Ill have a car brought around, and we'll drive you back.'

'Whoa no. No way. If the headmistress found out humans brought us back to campus and they knew our exact location, oh my god...' Daniel wipes his hands down his cheeks, dragging his eyes down in a ridiculous way with them.

'Guys, Damons ready to go. He's in the lobby waiting.' Roman says, listening intently through the door. He must have great hearing to hear him from the lobby. I'm running out of options.

I take a few steps towards Stefan, getting rather close to him. I see the look on sierras face change; but this is part of the plan.

'Isnt there something you could do? Youre not really just going to leave us here are you?' i say flirtatiously. I see him stiffen.

'Well, there might be something... but its horrible and none of us are going to like it except Damon...' he looks down at me. I smile.

'Do it. We'll play along.' Sierra smiles in agreement as she slides in between us. _You don't care remember..._

Stefan takes his phone out of his pocket and begins to text. We stand there anxiously for a minute, waiting to see what will happen.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and i turn to see Daniel. 'Besides the obvious bad parts of today, its been really great...' he whispers. '...Like, youve basically been one of my idols for as long as I've lived in New York; and i actually got to come to your house today. This is so rude and inappropriate of me...' He says, looking down. For a moment, i think he's about to kiss me even though he's gay, but i feel relief when he pulls his phone out of his pocket. '...Do you think we could stay in touch? I dont really have...' I interrupt him by snatching the phone from his hands. I cant stop smiling, he's so adorable. I give him my number and hand the phone back to him.

'I think we're going to be really close friends.' I say smiling. He smile widens to the point where it looks like it hurts.

'Alright its set...' Stefan interrupts, '...Lets go.' He opens the door, and i quickly grab my bag before we pile into the elevator. Neither sierra nor I have any idea what's going on, but I'm not worried. I can get myself out of any situation. We reach the lobby and find a large black land cruiser waiting for us out the front. Stefan opens the door and Sierra and i get in, followed by himself. Marco and Daniel get in through the boot, closely followed my Roman who has to sit within the boot itself due to lack of seating. Louis gets in the passenger seat. Damon puts the car in gear and in a few seconds we're moving.


	5. Chapter 5

We sit in silence for what seems like a long time. Maybe it was a long time, i dont know. Sierra bumps her hand against my leg to get my attention. She wags her brows at me, and i know she wants to know what's going on. Shes nervous; i can sense it, she doesn't want to speak. I shrug. I'm still not concerned about what's going on. If this means i get into The Academy, then fine.

'We've been driving for hours, I'm starving, can we stop for a bit?' Marco finally breaks the silence from the very back seat.

Damon says nothing. I look at Stefan, who looks apologetic.

'Damon, we should stop, we need to feed the girls too...' Stefan says. Damon still doesn't say anything, and Stefan looks back at me; his face growing sadder. I look at Sierra, who has tears starting to well in her eyes. I frown at her. _Don't cry, dont cry, crying is messy for vampire which were not supposed to me..._ i think she gets the message I'm trying to convey because she quickly looks out the window, and squeezes her eyes shut.

I clear my throat. 'I need to use a restroom' I announce loudly. Damon looks at me in his rear view mirror, and then continues driving.

I clear my throat again for emphasis. 'I said, I need to use a restroom, right now.'

Finally Damon speaks. 'You can wait.'

My anger sparks. 'No, i cannot. I need to use a bathroom now. We've been driving for like 4 hours now. I have to go. Now' I say angrily. He glares at me again in the mirror.

'Damon...' Stefan tries his luck again. Thinking quickly, i subtly shuffle my handbag around in my lap so neither Stefan or Damon can see what about to do. Without thinking, i jam my fingernails into the skin of thigh, just above the hem of my dress, and break the skin. I pull my hem down quickly. I feel my blood start to soak into my dress. Sierra shoots me a look of worry.

'I need to go _now_...' I say again, knowing this time there's blood in the air. Stefan snaps his head toward me. I know it's working. I mean, if they haven't noticed we're vampires by now, surely they wont realise the difference in the scent of my blood. I look at his face, he's straining to keep his hunger veins hidden.

From the drivers seat Damon growls. 'Are you fucking kidding me.'

He slams on the brakes and we're sent leaning forward. Thank god for seat belts. In a few minutes were stopped. As sierra opens the door, Damon looks at us.

'You have 5 minutes. We have to keep moving. Stefan, go with them.' He points towards the Gas station we've stopped at. Great timing.

'No, i dont need...'

'Go. With. Them. Stefan.' He growls. Stefan rolls his eyes and sighs. The three of us jump out of the car and head inside. Sierra is almost running, and i follow along behind. We see a sign for toilets on the outside of the main building and we make our way there. Sierra opens the door and goes in, but i stop Stefan behind me.

'What is going on.' I say, with a stern voice.

'I told you, you wouldn't like it; which is why i didn't...'

'Stefan, do not toy with me right now...' i say, pretending to be angry. He takes a deep breath.

'Fine. Were going back to The Academy.'

I gasp. 'What? Why couldn't you have just told us that!' i say, baffled.

'Because we're taking a detour. Trust me...' He says as he places his hand on my upper arm. '...Nothing bad is going to happen to you or Sierra. I promise.' He says. He looks sincere. The protective thing suits him...

'Eleanor!' Sierra pops her head out the door to call me in.

'Ill wait.' Stefan says.

I head inside quickly and lock the door. Before Sierra has a chance to scream or cry i speak up.

'Everything is fine, Sierra, nothing is...'

'Youre kidding me right? You bitch, youve had them kidnap us!' She shouts at me. I roll my eyes at her.

'Watch your tongue. Theyre taking us to The Academy.'

Her face softens. 'What? Why didn't they...'

'They're taking the long way round. _They're probably going to turn us..._ ' I say slowly, tapping my ear to remind her that Stefan is probably listening. She nods. I mouth the word "relax" to her, and i see her whole body soften too. I grab her phone from her hand and type her a message. * **If anything gets out of hand, I'll kill them all.*** I hand the phone back to her and she nods again. I lift up the hem of my dress, the 5 small cuts have healed.

'Lets go'

We head back out of the bathroom to Stefan.

'Are you...' he begins but i cut him off.

'I'm fine. Lets keep going.'

We head back to the car and get in. The pack hasn't moved. Damon restarts the car, and flies back off onto the highway. My phone beeps in my bag, and i quietly get it. Its a text from an unknown number. * **I saw what you did***

I freeze. I realise it must be Daniel. I didn't think he would see but he mustve. I dont look back at him, i put my phone back in my bag, and agree to worry about this later.

When i open my eyes, the car has stopped moving. I must have drifted off to sleep. I look to Sierra who is also waking up. Stefan touches my arm.

'Were nearly there.' He whispers. We all get out of the car, and to my surprise, i nearly fall flat on my face and almost spill the contents of my bag as my stilettos sink into the dirt.

When i balance out, instantly i freeze. Everywhere i look, there are trees. Thousands and thousands of trees and shrubs line the ground. There's no road, no footbath. We're in the middle of the woods. Its completely dark by now, it must be nearly midnight, but the moon illuminates the ground through the thick tree canopy.

These must be the woods surrounding the school. I take it all in.

'Lets move.' Damon says, before he quickly locks the car and walks off into the trees. The pack follows. I look at Sierra then to Stefan. She begins to follow the rest of them.

'What is this?' i ask him quietly.

'We're just walking for a bit, come on...' He starts to follow the others.

'Wait! I cant go anywhere in these shoes, ill break an ankle!' i point to my feet. Stefan groans and looks around.

'Youll have to carry them, I'm sorry there's nothing i can do, just keep up.' He says as he darts off into the woods. Great. I take off my shoes and try to catch up. I slip my phone into my bra, and pull out a small wooden stake from my bag; just long enough to pierce the skin and heart. Small enough to hide. I always carry it with me, just in case. I slip that under the strap of my bra. I leave my bag by the car and head off. Its been a long time since I've run barefoot through the woods, but i have to say, i dont mind it. Its something different. The ground doesn't hurt my feet, it feels surprisingly normal.

We walk almost single file along somewhat of a dirt track. Sierra is sticking close to Stefan, and If it makes her feel safer then I'm glad. We move fairly quickly through the woods until we get to somewhat of a clearing. The ground cover is thick and there's no big trees in the way. Damon stops in the middle of the space, and the pack stop when he does. I'm at the very edge of the clearing, and its quite pretty out here, we must be really close. I try to make a mental note of my surroundings so i know where to find the school next time I'm out here. The moon lights up the area like a stadium. Damon turns to face us.

'We're nearly there...' He says to Sierra and myself.

'Damon what are we doing...' Marco says, he sounds worried.

'See, i considered bringing you all the way back to the college with us; making you like us. But then i realised, we definitely dont need a couple of yuppies like yourself in our midst, no matter how friendly or rich you are...' he slowly starts heading toward Sierra. '...Too much publicity, you know. Anyway, thats why this ends now...' He continues on, sternly as a grin reaches his face. My heart is pounding.

I hear Stefan growl from in front of me; and i can tell his fangs are out from the sound of it. 'Damon, what the hell...'

Suddenly all of them are growling and standing in a defensive position, like they're bracing themselves. My pulse quickens. Sierra is frozen still.

'wh...what...' she stutters as Damon reaches her. He smiles. _He's a fucking psychopath!_

Damon bares his fangs, and they're some of the longest fangs I've ever seen in my life. He growls.

'Youre really lovely and all, but youre just not right...'

That's when i lose it. My body goes into an adrenaline rush, my blood pulsating through my veins at an inhuman speed. I feel the anger; the need to protect making me stronger; making venom pool in my fangs. Damon extends his arm towards her, and i snap. I drop my shoes. I draw back like a coil, and within a heartbeat, my fangs are out. I spring forward with every inch of power in me and let out a growl. With extreme speed, i run towards Damon, and i strike him in the face with a clenched fist. I hear growls and gasps around me, but I'm too determined. _I'm going to kill him._ He stumbles backward for a few moments, before he lunges back at me. I try to punch him again, but he grabs my wrist and throws me into the air and across the field. I land hard, and it knocks the air out of my lungs. As i recover, Damon is above me, mid-punch that would smash my head into the ground. I bring my leg up and pound it into his stomach at full force, and i hear a satisfying crack within him. He lets out a growl and curls over, and i have enough time to get up. i grab the front of his shirt and throw him over my shoulder, he lands on his back and i hear something else break. I growl at him; he looks down for the count. This is it. I reach into my dress and pull out the wooden dagger i had stowed there. I jump towards him, my knee landing in the middle of his rib cage, and i pull the stake back over my head, ready to drive it through his chest; when i notice him laughing. I'm about to kill him, and he's on the ground laughing. Breathlessly, i growl a warning at him, and bring my arm down.

'I knew it.' He says, blood dripping down his cheek from his nose. The wood is nearly touching his skin when he says this, and i stop. He's still laughing.

'This whole time. I suspected it. You hid it so well, i couldn't be sure...' I lift my knee slightly and slam it back against his chest. He grunts, then laughs.

'I knew it. No one else could tell. When you showed interest in the academy, when you knew about it in the first place...'

 _Stop talking. Kill him already._ I press the stake into his chest slowly, blood spills onto his white shirt. He snarls at me, and i snarl back, exposing my fangs as a sign of dominance.

'Eleanor!' Stefan shouts from somewhere in the background.

'Think about it...' He coughs. '...Did you really think we'd take back a couple of humans to the school?' he smiles through his teeth

 _He really did know all along. This is a trick. He wanted proof._

i snarl again before getting off of him. I step back as he begins to get up.

'Don't you ever, go near her again. Or i will kill you.' I growl.

He laughs. 'I dont want to hurt her, i just wanted your cover to be blown.' He wipes his nose.

I look behind me. Everyones mouth hangs open. I look back at Damon.

Suddenly the pack comes back to life, they begin laughing and punching each other in the arms.

'How did we miss that...?'

'I look back now, it was so obvious...'

'How does that even happen...?'

 _This is a joke to them_

I point the stake at Damon. 'Enough. Take us to the academy.'

He laughs again. 'that was what this was about wasn't it. You just wanted a way in.' I wave the stake at him more and say nothing. 'Youre not coming with us. This really does end now.'

'I dont think youre listening to me' i say, taking a step towards him. I need to not get flustered. 'Take us to the academy... or ill have no choice but to kill you all, no matter how attractive you are...' _Good job Eleanor, youre flustered._

'We dont have the ability to let you in to the school, even if you come with us...' Damon says seriously. He's beginning to calm down after the fight, and so am i.

I look at Sierra, who is being hugged by Daniel.

'Look, we're coming with you anyway...' I step towards Damon. 'But i swear to god, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, itll be the last thing you ever do...' i turn my back on him and walk to sierra. Shes smiles to let me know shes fine. I turn to Stefan, whose face is pretty blank.

'I cant believe i didn't notice.' He says as i walk over to him.

I smile at him apologetically. The last thing i want is for him to hate me... i think. 'We're experts at staying hidden. I've been doing it for centuries.'

'Centuries? How old are you two...?' He asks with a crooked smile. I wink at him.

'I'm old enough...' i say as walk back to Sierra and Daniel. Daniel looks full of wonder.

'I cant believe youre actually like us. Both of you. Its like a dream come true.' We laugh for a few moments, before Damon interrupts.

'Its late, we have to get back.' He walks out of the clearing and disappears. _I still hate him though._ I quickly pick up my shoes, and we all follow along closely behind.


	6. Chapter 6

After 20 minutes or so of quietly walking, i realize I've lost my mobile. I try not to worry too much; ill just buy a new one. As we're walking sierra grabs my arm.

'I dont know if i want to go here anymore.' She says wearily.

'What? Of course you do, this is what we've wanted for years!'

"Maybe, but i dont want to be killed while I'm here!'

I shake my head. 'Sierra, no one will hurt you. Damon was trying to scare us inter revealing ourselves thats all...' I say, even though I'm not entirely convinced that thats true. 'Besides, i think the guys would probably jump in front of a bullet for you anyway, dont you agree?' i wink at her. She looks over her shoulder at Stefan, who's talking quietly to Marco.

She grins 'Probably'

'So Eleanor...' i hear Stefan call out from behind me. I look over my shoulder at him.

'...I told you my age, i think its only fair you tell me yours...' he grins.

'635.' I say, making an effort not to make a big deal out of it.

'What!' Daniel shouts from the top of his lungs.

I glare at him. 'Its not a big deal, can we just keep walking...' the boys are shocked, and i know that eventually ill be asked more and more questions.

'We're here.' Damon calls from the front.

Surrounded by an 8 foot high gothic metal fence is The Academy. It must be at least 2 or 3 storeys high, made or dark grey bricks and stone. The pointed slate roofs make the place look evil. Its huge. The fence surrounds all the unattached buildings and yards. Trees like the walkways inside the fence. its a foreign yet beautiful sight.

'This is unreal.' I say breathlessly as i look up at the magnificent structure before me. I notice that I've stopped walking to admire it and the packs walked off without me. I run and catch up with them. We walk along the fence line, but i see no way to get onto the grounds. Eventually we come to a huge double gate. There are two men standing by it behind the fence. Damon walks up to them and mumbles something, and the gates begin to swing open slowly.

'You two will have to wait here.' Damon says. Him and the pack go inside, and the gates swing shut again as we're left waiting.

'Well, at least we're here...' Sierra says as she runs her fingers of the metal of the gate. I can see the two men who are standing by the fence, and they're staring at us. They must be guards or something. I see some other people walking past, and the death stares were being given are incredible. I look down at my dress; its covered in dirt and torn in places. And i dont have any shoes on. I realise now why they're staring.

After a few minutes the boys return, followed by a woman. Shes tall and blonde, with aqua eyes that look like they're glowing. She walks with pride, like she owns the place. She cant be much older in human years than i am, she looks like a teenager. And then it hits me...

'Eleanor, Sierra; this is our Headmistress, Aria Lestiva.' Stefan introduces us through the gate with a smile. This woman is stunning. Even more so than me...

'As lovely as it is to meet you, I'm afraid youll have to leave.' She says

'Excuse me' i blurt out way too quickly.

'We have no positions available. This isn't a walk up and order type of school.'

'Aria, think about this for a minute...' Stefan begins. Aria waves a hand at him and he stops.

'If i let every vampire who showed up at our gates in, we'd be flooded. I can only take the best of the best; people who truely want to be here.'

I begin to get angry again.

'Sorry, Headmistress, i dont think you know who i am...' i begin, straightening myself. '...My name is Eleanor Deveroux. My name used to be Eleanor De Bohun. I was born in London in 1373, i have lived through plagues and wars and poverty worse than you can even begin to imagine. What are you, like, 20...? Maybe 30 years old? If anyone is good enough to come into your school it is myself and my turnee, Sierra Mahoney.' I say with as much sass as i can. Stefan looks shocked, but i hear Damon laugh behind him.

Aria looks at me, dumbfounded. 'De Bohun... as in...' she says

'Yes. Thats me. Now, we'd really like to be a part of your school. After 600 years I'm bored of what I've been doing. I assure you, we want to be here. We've travelled all the way from new york city to be here' I look at sierra who is smiling, yet cringing.

Aria straightens herself, adjusting to the situation. She looks around at the crowd gathering behind her. _Please let us in..._

'If i was to let you both in...' She begins slowly, trying to regain control. 'This would not be a free pass. You will both have to participate around here; especially you Eleanor. Youre older than any of us here, and id expect you to act in a way that reflects well on our school. You probably know a lot more than the professors here; hence, you will teach some classes per week...'

'What!' i shout, she pays no attention and keeps talking.

'...Your many years of life will be beneficial to our students. Sierra, will also attend classes and live up to the expectations we have set here. Neither of you should think you are above the rules, no matter what your social status is. If you put a foot wrong, you will be expelled. Do you understand? If you cannot agree to this, i will ask you to leave right away.' As she finishes her speech, she tucks her long blonde hair behind her ears.

'I dont want to teach. I'm not a teacher. Ill listen to whatever is thrown at me but...'

'Eleanor...' Sierra yanks me towards her by my arm. '...Its this or nothing. This will be our only chance remember?'

I frown. 'Easy for you to say, youre the one that just has to be a student not teach...'

She tilts her head. 'Youre the one that wanted to go here right...' she lowers her voice. '...After what happened just before, i dont even really want to be here anymore. I'm not going alone, i need you to protect me.' She says, giving me her best puppy-dog eyes. I roll my eyes and groan.

'Look miss...'

'You will address me as Headmistress.' Aria interrupts. I groan.

'Headmistress... I have nothing to teach. I know the exact same stuff as everyone else here. Your professors do a great job on their own I'm sure of it...'

'You will help if required. Please make your decision quickly; I along with my students have been woken because of this. It is late...'

I look at Sierra whose face is blank. I peer through the gate at the boys; Daniel grinning from ear to ear. I sigh.

'Alright.' I do want to be here, so i submit to defeat. Ill work my way out of this teaching thing anyway. Aria nods at the men by the gate, and it swings open again. I watch the massive metal beams open before me. I see the pack smile, but i watch Damon as he walks away into the massive gothic building. _I cant believe I'm actually here... it wasn't so hard..._ Yeah, but it wasn't fun either. I nearly got my best friend hurt. I make a mental note to get payback on Damon for it in the near future.

When the gates are open, Sierra and i walk side by side onto the grounds. If people weren't staring before; they definitely are now. Daniel runs up to us and hugs us at the same time.

'This is so cool!' he squeals as he squeezes us together awkwardly. We laugh together for a few moments before we pull away.

'Boys, you can leave now. Make sure the wandering students go back to their dorms.' She gestures for them to leave, and they all head off further into the grounds. Stefan smiles at us as he heads around the edge of the building and out of sight.

'Follow me.' Aria says, heading towards the large glass doors of the building Damon went into before. This must be the main building; like their office or something. Sierra and i follow along closely behind. As we enter, the wind is knocked out of me.

The building is huge. Its so dark and dreary on the outside, but inside its like a mansion. While walls and marble floors shiny enough to see your reflection as far as the eye can see. A huge crystal chandelier hangs from the extremely high ceiling, and it lights up the mahogany staircase that leads to the second floor. The stairs are the darkest part of the room. A couple of armchairs and a glass table sit in one corner of the room, and on the opposite side, several large glass windows encase an office of sorts, filled with computers and shelves of paperwork and books. I take it all in.

'This is the Lobby.' Aria says simply, before walking over to the office and slipping her hand through the small opening in the glass. She gets two gold keys before heading towards the stairs.

'This way...'

We follow her up the stairs, admiring the view of the lobby as we go. It truly is a beautiful room. It reminds me of my apartment. _Which several celebrities have probably been and gone already from this impromptu party we never had..._

I push the thought from my mind; something I'll have to worry about later. At the top of the stairs is a long corridor, lined periodically with double doors on either side. We pause when we come to a set with windows next to them.

'This is my office. Generally if you're in here you're in trouble, or youre about to be praised.' She gestures towards the door before quickly moving on. We reach the end of the corridor, where a pair of double doors sits opposite each other on either side. Aria places a key in my hand then in sierras.

'These are your rooms for now. We may have to move you into the student dormitories at a later date. Pick as you wish. See you in the morning' She walks past us and before we know it, she's gone. I look at sierra, who is grinning.

"This is awesome.' She says excitedly. 'I dibs this one!' she quickly runs to the doors on the left. I hear her gasp as she opens them.

'Oh my God!' she squeals. Her room is beautiful. The room is themed around a really light shade of blue. The wallpaper is blue, the couches by the fireplace at one end of the room, the bed sheets... Everything is blue. And if its not blue, its white. The nightstands and wardrobe is white. Its elegant and classy; and its massive. Its perfect for Sierra.

'This is really nice' i say in awe as she jumps onto the bed giggling. I silently hope my room is as nice is this. I quickly walk over to my doors and slip the key into the lock. Sierra runs over as i push open the doors.

My room is just as perfect as hers. Its black and white. Its almost identical to sierras but in reverse. A large white bed sits in the middle of the room, on one side sits two white arm chairs, a coffee table and a magnificent marble fireplace. There's a small white kitchenette in the very far corner and on the far opposite looks like there's a bathroom. Its luxury; much more than i expected in a place like this. It doesn't differ much to my own house. The hints of black scattered around the room are totally my style.

'Eleanor, this is almost as great as mine!' she shouts. I laugh at her.

'Almost...' I pretend to agree. In honesty, its nicer than hers.

'I'm exhausted I'm going to go sleep in my marshmallow bed, goodnight!' she shouts as she heads across the corridor to her room and closes the doors behind her. I didn't realise how tired i was until i heard the word "bed". I walk over to the wardrobe and pull back the doors. To my astonishment its full. The rack, the shelves, the show compartment on the floor; its fully stocked.

'I don't understand...' i say to myself as i rummage around for something to wear to bed. 'How did they...' i finally find a satin white nightgown. I quickly run over to close my room doors before undressing and slipping it on. Its lovely; something id pick for myself after a Victorias Secret show. I quickly climb into bed and begin to relax. I cant believe what a full on, messed up, strange day its been. I close my eyes and let sleep take hold.


	7. Chapter 7

I wake to knocks on my door. It startles me and I sit upright so fast it makes my head spin.

'Just a minute...' I mumble in my unattractive morning voice. I peel the covers off me and run my fingers through my hair before quickly walking to the door. As I open it, I jump.

'Shit, Stefan...' I say. I place my hand on my chest to get my heart to slow. '...You scared me.'

He smiles. 'Sorry I didn't mean to.'

'I thought you were Sierra.'

'No, I actually don't know where she is. I tried knocking but no one answered.' He looks over at her bedroom doors. I shake my head.

'She's probably still sleeping. She sleeps like a sloth.' I laugh awkwardly. _Why did I say that... that's so stupid Eleanor...?_

I smile awkwardly at him, even though he laughs a little at my stupid reference. He looks down at me slowly, and I follow his eyes where they go. Startled, I quickly fold my arms in front of my chest. I didn't even think to put a dressing gown on. _Shit._ He shakes his head quickly; unaware of what he was doing.

'So, um... get dressed, there's a lot we have to fill you in on today.' He smiles, trying to forget what just happened I imagine. He's probably embarrassed like I am.

I nod. 'Okay, just give me a few minutes?'

'Sure thing.'

I quickly close the doors on him and take a deep breath. I run over to my wardrobe and quickly search for something to wear, hoping it fits. I opt for a plain white singlet top and jeans. Hopefully this will make me blend in. I slip on a plain black pair of heels too; i wont wear anything but heels. I quickly change and head for the bathroom. I manage to find a brush and quickly pull it through my hair. i pause for a moment to consider just how weird all of this is; my room is fully stocked with clothes that fit a female my size and hygiene items. _It's like they knew i was coming..._ I quickly brush my teeth and head back to Stefan. I receive a friendly smile when i open the doors.

'You look good.' He says, looking me up and down again.

I think i blush a little. 'Oh. Thanks.' I say awkwardly as i lock the doors behind me.

We walk side by side down the corridor towards the stairs.

'I'm supposed to give you a tour of the school. Its quite confusing at first, but most of the students will be nice enough to help you out.' He says as we step down the stairs.

I smile at him questioningly. 'Most of them?'

He chuckles. 'Yeah. We have a couple of students that are... not so welcoming. But you shouldn't worry about them; their hierarchy probably wants someone like you anyway.'

As we reach the lobby i frown at him. 'There are school cliques here too? Arent you all, like, too old for that sort of thing?'

He shrugs at me 'Well, most students here aren't more than a decade old. They were turned and instantly transferred from normal human high school to here. Aria tries to let it run how a normal school would. I dont know much about it...' He says. I kind of understand. They're trying to maintain their humanity. I was like that once; but it nearly got me killed. I was fast to accept what i had become. Sierra on the other hand, not so much...

I follow Stefan out the same doors we came in yesterday and into the yard. My eyes have trouble adjusting to the sun at first; I'm not used to being up and at it so soon after waking up. The sun is high in the sky, and i realise it must already be midday.

'This is the East courtyard. Most academic classes happen in that building...' he points to four grey bricked adjoined rooms across the yard. Each is fairly small, with a single door and a few windows. '...You know, history, English... that sort of thing.' He continues as we keep walking across the grounds. There are students everywhere; several are at their lockers which line the walls of the classrooms, sitting at lunch benches scattered around the yard. I notice a lot of them staring and whispering, so i pull my hair around the edges of my face.

'Hey dont worry about them...' Stefan says as he places a hand on my shoulder. '...They'll adjust to it soon enough.' I look up at his smiling face. _God he's cute._ I'm pulled from my daydream by Daniel running towards us.

'Hey! Eleanor!'

I smile at him. 'Hey. What's going on?'

'Sierra is out in the west courtyard playing basketball with some juniors. You gotta check this out...' he says, gesturing for us to follow him. I look at Stefan and he looks just as puzzled as i am. Sierra is not sporty at all. We follow Daniel under a bricked archway that connects the main building with another. Stefan tells me that its the mens' dorms. I try and draw a map in my head.

We reach the basketball courts in the West courtyard and sure enough, Sierra is running around dribbling the ball. I laugh in astonishment; i cant believe my eyes.

'Wow. Shes doing well...' Stefan says, watching her. I look at him, and see that his face has lit up. My heart sinks a little but i ignore that. _I do not care..._ I here Sierra laugh as she darts around the men shes playing with and take a shot. She sinks it. She victoriously punches the air as the men applaud her. Daniel laughs lightly as he runs towards her.

'Eleanor!' she shouts as we walk to her. Shes puffing, her face damp from sweat.

'Since when can you do anything physical?' i ask, pointing at the ball in her hands

'I'm very good at a lot of _physical activities..._ ' she looks over at the men on the court, then wiggles her brows at me suggestively. I snort, and i hear Stefan chuckle from behind me. 'Are you coming with us?' i ask her.

'Nah...' she says breathlessly. '...I already know my way around. I've been up for hours. I'm gonna keep playing...' She quickly darts back onto the court and starts playing again.

'Anyway, we've still got more to see.' Stefan gets my attention again. He points to another large building. 'This one is the female dormitories. There's generally 2 people to a room, sometimes more.' I look up at it. I'm suddenly very thankful for the room i have. Being thankful isn't a feeling i have often. _What is happening to me, i growing weak._

Stefan and i keep walking and head around behind the girls dorms. There is a huge green oval, with students sitting on the grass in little groups. To one side of the oval if a white wooden rotunda, with bushes lining the bottom and vines climbing up the columns. It's beautiful out here.

'This is out oval. Occasionally we have carnivals and football games out here, but generally its just a place people sit and relax.' He says. Without even thinking i walk straight over to the rotunda, ignoring the people staring at me. Stefan follows me up the stairs to it. I look up at roof from where I'm standing in the middle. There's something about it that I'm drawn to.

'its nice isn't it; Its one of only two things on within the grounds that receives regular upkeep.'

I look at him. 'What's the other one?'

'A fountain in a small courtyard between the dorms. Ill show you later' he smiles. God his smile is overwhelmingly attractive. I cant help but smile back. _Stop it stop it stop..._ I break my gaze away to look around the oval.

'Where are the boys?' i ask, without looking back at him.

'Probably where they always are. Are you coming?'

I look behind me and see he's already started to walk away. I quickly catch up to him. We head back towards the courts towards the front fence of the school.

'Where are we going now?' i ask as we head into the tree line.

'There's an amphitheatre down here, its where we have gym classes. Theyll be down here.' He says. We follow the track through the trees when we come to some large stone steps. Stefan follows them down with ease, and i follow along behind him a little more carefully; id rather not break an ankle in these really nice stilettos. As we get closer to the bottom i hear voices. It must be the pack.

'Guys...' Stefan calls out as we make it to the bottom. The steps went on for a lot longer than i expected. I look around, there is terrace seating surrounding us, which is all surrounded by trees. Its set up like an outdoor theatre stage, without seats or tables. Sure enough, the pack is here. Marco and Louis sit in the middle of the terrace; roman is standing beside them looking at something over their shoulders. Daniel is here now, and he is sitting cross-legged on the stage area.

'Hey!' Marco calls out from his spot.

'Hi everyone' i say. Suddenly i hear rustling in the surrounding trees, and my eyes dart upwards. I see Damon perched in the branch of a large pine tree.

'I'm surprised she survived walking across the courtyard...' he says aggressively. Ignore his tone. He jumps from the branch and lands on the ground perfectly. _He's done that before..._

'Damon, cut it.' Stefan says sternly. Damon rolls his eyes at him.

'what are you all doing here?' i ask quickly, hoping to stop any chance of a fight beginning.

'This is our crib' Daniel says, trying to sound cool. He fails and everyone laughs; except Damon.

'We have this class next; but we generally hang out here anyway. Its quiet.' Stefan says.

'What do you even learn in "vampire gym class"' i say, mockingly.

Daniel stands up. 'its actually one of the most fun classes on offer. We have combat lessons, climbing, running, hunting, archery...'

I frown. 'Surely you guys already know how to do all that though...' i interrupt Daniel.

'Yeah we do. But the professor has different ways of doing things. Plus, other students have zero idea of what they're doing. We just attend because we can.' Daniel continues. I nod, i kind of understand this. When you know everything there is to know, re learning it a different way could be entertaining.

'Besides, even someone of your age wouldn't know _everything_ there is to know...' Daniel says. I glare at him for indirectly calling me old. I grin at him.

'I mightn't know everything; but everything i do know and can do, i can do it better than everyone else.' I wink at Daniel, before quickly launching myself into the tree Damon just came down from. I'm sure i was fast, so fast that not even they could see what was happening. Daniels mouth hangs open.

'Kudos for doing that in heels' he says without blinking, and i laugh at his surprise.

'I dont know...' Marco says. 'I mean, Damon holds a lot of records in this class...' He says, looking at him. Damon doesn't react, standing still like before with his arms crossed. '...if Damon doesn't have the record, one of us will.' He adds quickly. Louis nods in agreement next to him. I look at Stefan.

'So why do only you guys have records then?' i ask him.

He grins. 'Because we're the best of the best. Thats why we're warriors.'

I frown. 'What?' i say, extremely confused.

'Its just a name...' Daniel begins to explain. '...We're more like a security team for the school. Or... like prefects or school captains.'

My eyes widen. _I'm in with the school captains... the popular ones..._ it catches me off guard and a nearly slip from my branch.

'wait wait wait, so you guys, are like, in charge?' I'm shocked

'Aria doesn't have time to do everything. Everything that happens in the school comes through us first.' Daniel says proudly. I press my fingertips to my head trying to process this.

'well, actually, technically Damon decides...' Roman begins, but quickly stops when he is hastily elbowed in the knee by Louis.

I glare at Damon. 'Why are you in charge? Why cant the Headmistress do it herself? She is the principal...' Damon says nothing. He always looks angry, i cant tell if he's actually angry; or its just his face.

'She's got a baby to care for.' Stefan says lightly. I look at him in awe.

'She has what?'

'She's a mother.' He says again.

I tilt my head. 'Okay, I guess that makes sense, huge workload and all...' i say. I almost feel bad for waking her at midnight now. I walk over to the bottom steps of the terrace and sit down. I lean against my knees.

'So, what... she died during childbirth?' i ask, looking at everyone.

'Have you honestly never heard of Aria Lestiva before?' Damon says. He looks angry now. I shake my head.

'No, i haven't.'

Hes frustrated, he waves his hands at me. 'Do we actually have to spoon feed you information youre basically already supposed to know? Cmon!' he yells, thrusting his hand towards me. '...Youre practically as old as the bible, you should know who she is by now!'

His words cut deep. I try not to care, but i really do. I cant do anything but stare at him. I dont know why I'm hurting, i mean, I'm not really that old. I really am going weak. He runs his fingers through his tousled hair. 'Dea dammi la forza' he says before disappearing into the surrounding forest. Ive lived on every continent in my life, i know Italian; _Goddess give me strength._ I sit there in astonishment. Stefan sits down beside me. 'Ignore him. We wouldnt expect someone who does go to this school to know about her. But its a story for another day, class is about to start...' he goes to stand up but i grab his arm. 'No. Tell me now.' He looks at me for a moment before he sighs. 'Aria arrived here only a year ago. She was human. One of the previous students, who was also a warrior, had attacked her and the previous warriors brought her here.' He looks at me sadly. 'She lived here as a human for a few months with our previous headmistress. She was under the constant protection of the warriors, but none of them knew who had attacked her. Anyway, shit went down and there was a battle she got caught up in and she was turned to save her life. She fell in love with one of the warriors and they had a child.' I look at him. 'Thats not possible.' He nods 'so we thought. Turns out shes a distant decendant of our goddess Isabella; an original. As strange as this sounds, she has powers. A gift that allowed her to have her daughter.' I cant believe it. 'oh my god' i say breathlessly. Goddess? What nonsense. Religion amongst vampires doesn't exist. 'its weird huh?' Daniel says, noticing my bewilderment. 'absolutely' i say. I knew as a vampire i could never have a child; no matter how desperately i wanted one. I gave up a long time ago. Hearing this story has tugged on my heart strings. 'Have you seen her? The child?' i look at stefan who smiles. 'yes. Shes beautiful.' I have to see it for myself one day. It gives me so much hope. I smile to myself. Suddenly the amphitheatre begins to fill with students coming down the steps. i notice they all stare at me as they find a place to sit down. I look at Stefan, hoping he'll help me. 'Here...' he says as he stands and offers me his hand. I take it, and he leads me up the terrace to the very back step, stepping carefully on each ledge so i dont break a heel. The pack is already there and we sit next to them. I can hear the students talking about me, but i choose not to listen in closely. A girl sitting in front of me turns to look at me. She gawks at me for a long time, before i get annoyed and address her. 'Can i help you?' i ask her, getting annoyed. 'Youre Eleanor Deveroux.' She makes the statement. 'uh-huh...' i mumble. 'i cant believe youre...' 'A vampire? I know...' i cut her off. '... you'd think someone would've called it after 635 years; but i guess not. Oh well.' I shrug as i glare back her. She turns to the front really quick after that. The pack chuckles from beside me, and stefan smirks trying not to. An older man is standing on the stage area, waiting for everyone to be quiet. The noise goes down and he begins talking. 'thank you. Glad to see we've got almost a full class today...' he begins. 'Thats Professor Thatcher. Hes been here for years...' stefan whispers in my ear. It sends a shiver down my spine. God damn i need to stay away from him. 'alrighty, lets get to it...' the professor continues to address the class. He looks around, and when his eyes meet mine, i know things are about to get real. 'Ahh, one of the new students. Are you meant to be here, miss...?' he asks me, waiting for me to introduce myself. 'Eleanor Deveroux, sir.' I say, politely as i can. 'Miss Eleanor. Welcome. The headmistress has told me all about you. Pleasure to meet you in person.' He smiles. 'thanks.' 'She hasnt received her schedule yet, shes just sitting in for now.' Stefan says from beside me. 'Okay then. I hope you'll find this interesting, Miss Eleanor.' Professor thatcher says. Most of the students are looking at me by now. _Oh im sure i wont..._ 'Today, were going to be playing cat and mouse...' He continues. _You have to be kidding me, what are we, 5?_ 'I want everyone to pair up, please. Boys, were is Damon?' he asks as everyone begins to move and talk again. 'He took off a while ago.' Marco says above the noise. The professor must have heard him, he shakes his head. 'That man has the tendencies of a child' he says clearly annoyed. Stefan and i snort. _Im not the only one who cant stand him..._ Stefan looks at me. 'You dont have to do this if you dont want to.' He says. 'What are we actually doing?' 'You partner up, and its basically like human cat and mouse. You both go into the arena and using vampy skills you try not to get caught.' I laugh. 'Vampy?' He gives me his lopsided smile. 'Yeah. Anyway, it sounds childish, but its quite fun.' Suddenly Damon appears from the trees behind the stage. 'Ah damon...' the professor says. 'im glad youre finally back. Class, shush.' He gets the class to quiten down. Damon still looks mad. 'i think its time for a challenge...' the professor says looking at damon. His frown deepens. '...For once, me might have someone that can beat the cat and mouse record...' _oh no..._ My stomach drops. I know hes talking about me. 'Eleanor, you and Damon will go first.' 'What!' i say a little too loudly. Everyone looks at me. 'Professor, i think its probably best if she just watches...' Stefan says as he stands up. 'Nonsense...' The professor says, '...She is the perfect contender. She might teach Damon a thing or two...' 'Sir, for once, Stefan is right. I dont want to participate.' Damon says angrily, but politely. Thatcher looks mad now. 'I said, you and Eleanor will go first. Damon, you will be the cat. Go...' he points towards the trees. That must be where the arena is. _Its probably fenced..._ 'Sir, I'm not wearing the right shoes...' I begin, trying to work my way out of this. Thatcher waves for me to come to the front, and i reluctantly oblige. When i reach the front he takes my hand. 'Eleanor. I know enough about you to know that you dont need shoes to go long distances.' He pats my hand before dropping it. He mustve heard how i arrived here. I groan inwardly. I look at Stefan whose sat back down again. He looks worried. Frankly, so am i... I look at Damon; his expression unchanged. 'Go!' the professor says. There's no way I'm getting out of this, so I'm going to have to take it on the chin. I slip off my shoes and leave them on the stage, before following Damon into the trees. We come to a small gate, which Damon opens. 'I know how much neither of us want to do this; so during your headstart, just find somewhere to stand and ill find you within a minute. Then itll be over and we can all go...' he says grumpily. _He thinks i cant beat him..._ he is wrong. I decide in that moment, I'm going to give him a run for his money. Once we're in the arena, he closes the gate behind me. 'Eleanor, you get 10 seconds worth of a headstart, ready?' The voice of the professor comes from nowhere, and i jump. 'There are speakers and cameras in here.' Damon says, unimpressed. I take a few steps forward and ready myself. I nod, hoping the professor will see it. 'Go!' I'm gone. I run and full speed to wherever my legs will take me. I dart in and out of trees, my feet barely touching the ground. My hair flies behind me like a cape. My ears twitch, and i hear the sound of other footsteps behind me. They're a long way away, but i hear them. I keep sprinting forward, barely making a sound. Suddenly i see a fence in front of me and i throw on the brakes. 'shit' i say, looking around me for another way to go. The steps behind me quicken, and my heart begins to beat faster than it should. I launch myself into the air and into a tree, climbing it as quickly as i can. I climb high enough so i can still see the ground and then i stop. I stop breathing. Suddenly, Damon is beneath me. He spins, he can probably smell me but cant see me. I'm surprised he hasn't looked up... He darts of in another direction in an instant. I jump from one tree to another close by, then another. I launch myself from tree to tree, in the opposite direction to where Damon is running. The record is how long someone has stayed uncaptured in here, so i just have to hold it out and teach him a lesson. I keep jumping, landing as lightly as i can. I adjust my hearing; i cant hear him anymore. I jump back to the ground. I have no idea where i am, or how far away from the fence i am... but I'm kind of having fun. I start my sprint again along the dirt ground. I can run for hours on end and never get tired. I smile. _I can totally do this..._ I gasp and slam on the brakes. He's in front of me; and he's seen me. I see him smile, his veins hardened beneath his eyes, the whites of his eyes pitch black. I turn on my heel and sprint off again, knowing that Damon is only a few meters behind me. There's no point climbing a tree if he knows; he's probably better at it than i am... I panic. _I want to win!_ My brain ticks over, searching for a new plan; another way to stay "alive". I hear a loud deep growl from my left, and instinctively i look towards it, but i regret my decision instantly. Damon charges toward me from the side, i try to face him to take him on but I'm not fast enough. I didn't hear him coming because my brain was busy. He slams into me, sending me flying backwards several meters, i hit the ground hard. In a heartbeat, I'm pinned beneath him; his weight on my stomach and his hands holding my arms into the soil. I extend my fangs, snarling at him, as i buck beneath him, trying to throw him off so i can keep running. He snarls back at me, his face only inches from mine. I swear my heart stops beating. The look on his face; the pure vampiric look of hunger and need on his face knocks the wind out of me. I cant breathe, and i dont know if its because I'm scared... Or because i want him... He lunges toward me, to fast for me to see. He sinks his fangs into my neck. I cry out; not in pain, but in surprise. I struggle beneath him. _He cant do this without asking what the fuck is going on..._ He draws more and more blood into his mouth, and i feel it begin to spill down my neck and onto my shirt and hair. I squirm. He bites down harder. 'Damon!' I yell, trying to break free of his grip. He responds with a moan against my neck, swallowing more and more of my blood. It doesn't hurt; and yet am not repulsed. Blood sharing is generally a special thing between lovers; a greater, truer connection than sex. I haven't experienced it in a long time. It feels... Good. But it shouldn't. Its Damon. Arrogant, rude, aggressive Damon. I try to push him away, but i dont know if thats really what i want. 'Damon... Stop...' I say, growing weaker from the lack of blood in my system. He is in a sort of frenzy. He doesn't stop. I lay beneath him helpless, for what seems like hours. Drifting in and out of consciousness, i hear a growl from somewhere in the distance. Suddenly, Damon is torn off me and tackled to the ground. I hear skin connecting with skin, but I'm too weak to get up. 


	8. Chapter 8

'Enough!' Someone shouts nearby. With all my strength, i prop myself up on one elbow to see what is going on. Stefan and Damon are fighting with vampiric speed; their bodies are a blur of colour and noise. I try to catch my breath. 'Stop...' I say quietly. In a second they stop, when Stefans fist connects with Damons cheek; the same cheek i punched only a day or so ago. He falls backward. His face is covered in his blood and my own. I stare at him in awe. 'I'm going to kill you. I'm going to rip your fangs out of your head one by one and then...' 'Stop.' I say again, this time stronger. Stefan looks over at me, his expression is pure sadness. Daniel suddenly drags me off the ground, touching the puncture wounds in my neck. I flinch. 'hey!' i say. He looks at Stefan. 'They're clean, theyll heal fine.' I slap daniels hand away from my neck. 'You fucking asshole.' Stefan says as he walks toward Damon. Damon sits still, he looks like he's in shock with what he's just done too. 'You had this planned...' I try to walk to Stefan but Daniel holds me back. 'Stefan, stop it.' He glares at me. I've never seen him angry before; it doesn't suit him at all. I notice Damon wipe his mouth against the back of his hand. _Why is that so... hot?_ I touch my neck, its still bleeding heavily. 'Believe it or not, i never meant to do that...' Damon says, coming to his feet slowly. I know he's telling the truth. Stefan scoffs 'Bullshit, you knew this would happen from the get-go...' 'No!' Damon shouts. He looks me in the eyes. 'Eleanor, i didn't.' I nod at him. 'Its fine. I'm fine. I just want to go back to my room...' i say, trying to make my way back to the amphitheatre. Daniel holds me back again, stopping me from moving. "Daniel, i can handle myself.' I say sternly. I'm too weak to fight force him away from me, but I'm hoping he'll listen to my requests. 'We're taking you to medical' he says simply. 'No. I'm going home.' I say, trying to get him to let go. 'Daniel...' Stefan calls out. '...Ill take her to her room. You and the professor can deal with _him..._ ' I stand there bewildered, unable to look away from Damon. He genuinely looks sad. Stefan begins to lead me away, taking my hand in his. Just before damons out of sight, i look back at him; wondering if that might be the last time i ever see him. Later that day, i wake up on my bed. I remember being taken back to my room, but i dont remember much else. When i wake, Stefan is sitting on the edge of the bed next to me. I sit up. 'hi.' 'Hey.' He says, placing a hand on my knee. I rub my eyes, i needed that nap; i feel much stronger. 'Eleanor...' Stefan grips my knee tighter. '...I am so sorry.' 'No, Stefan dont. Its not your fault...' He cuts me off. 'No, it is my fault. I should've done more to have stopped you from going in there with him. I should've known better...' 'you mean he's done this before?' i ask 'No. But i know what he's capable of. I should've seen it coming...' 'No Stefan, really, its not your fault. He didn't even know what he was doing...' i say, brushing my fingers over the grooves in my neck. He frowns. 'Youre kidding me right? He planned that from the very beginning.' I frown back at him. 'Stefan, it was an accident.' 'Surely you dont believe him.' He's getting frustrated. 'Yes, Stefan, i do. He was trying not to; i saw it in his eyes...well, more so under them...' i remember his veins showing then disappearing moments before he bit me. Stefan stands. 'That's crazy! He's never coming near you again...' he turns quickly before heading for the door. I jump from my bed and run in front of him, pushing him back. 'Stefan, its fine! Look, I'm not even hurt. Its honestly nothing.' Stefan grabs both my wrists in his hands. 'Not only did her break school policy; he did that without your permission, something thats supposed to be special...' He shakes my hands in his. I look up at him. 'I'm okay. Things like that aren't a big deal to me. Please calm down.' I say to him, breaking free of his grasp. 'You should care. I care.' He zips past me in an instant and disappears. 'Stefan, don't go!' i shout, hoping he's still within hearing range. I stand in my doorway. _He's so protective of me..._ In a few moments he's back. He's only been gone a few moments but he does look calmer. 'I filled Sierra in on what happened not long ago. She wanted to see you, but shes in class...' he says gently, walking towards me. 'I'm glad she didn't. She should stay in class, its the rules...' My voice trails off as he comes closer to me. He's only a foot away. My heart quickens. _What are these men doing to me...?_ His hand reaches out to my neck and quickly flicks my hair over my shoulder; revealing the wound. Is basically healed; but not quite. I freeze. He examines it for a moment, before he's eyes quickly dart up to meet mine. 'This. This is sacrilege.' In that moment, i cant help stare. He's not like Damon; he's kind, gentle, caring... But Damon... He's powerful, intimidating... _completely and totally bad for you..._ He glides his fingers over the marks on my neck, gentle as to not hurt me. I feel like i cant breathe. His thumb brushes the skin of my check, sending a spark of electricity down my spine. I open my eyes, and I'm forced to withdraw within an instant. 'Sierra!' i say, stepping back from Stefan. He turns to look at her. Her face is blank. 'Sorry to interrupt.' She says emotionlessly. Shes really not sorry at all; i can tell. Shes angry, i can sense it. 'how was your day? What class were you...' i begin to ask. 'I was concerned for you. Now that I've seen that youre more than okay, i no longer care.' She disappears from my sight. I sigh. She quite often has these tantrums; but this time i feel bad. Seeing Stefan touch me hurt her. I remember her reserving him jokingly a few days ago; how she tried so hard at the party... For the first time in forever, i feel guilty; truly horrible. I look at Stefan who seems a little confused. 'Is she okay?' 'No. Shes not...' i run my fingers through my hair. '...Thanks so much for being here for me, but i think you should go...' I cant do this to Sierra. If he stays, i will break her. I turn my back to him. He looks confused. _This is happening way to soon..._ 'Okay. If thats what you want.' He says somewhat sadly, before heading back out the door again. I sigh, trying to come up with a plan to deal with Sierra. I look down, realising I'm still wearing bloody clothes, and quickly turn to my wardrobe. I change hastily, into basically the same outfit before; just cleaner. I leave quickly, accidentally slamming the door behind me. I run down the corridor and the stairs to the lobby; and almost straight into Daniel. 'Hey there!' he says happily, bracing himself for a potential impacts. I manage to slow in time. 'Hey! Sorry, have you seen Sierra?' i ask, slightly puffed. He nods. 'Sure, she came by here a few minutes ago, she looked like she was headed to the West courtyard. Is everything alright?' his curiosity peaking. 'Uh, yeah. I just need to find her. Thanks!' i take off again, hoping to catch Sierra. I slow the pace now, running at a human speed through the east yard. I spot her under the dark arch tunnel between the buildings. 'Sierra, wait.' I call out to her, catching up to her. I reach her, but she doesn't stop walking. I grab her arm. 'Hang on a minute, how about you hear me out...' I say. She turns back towards me. 'I dont need to hear you out Eleanor. I saw it all.' She tries to keep walking but i pull her back. 'Sierra, cut the bullshit!' i snap. She glares at me. I roll my eyes. 'Nothing happened. You would've known this if you hadn't taken off like a child throwing a tantrum...' 'Excuse me!' she yells in my face. 'You were standing there; together. All touchy...' 'Oh my god Sierra, grow up! He was checking my wound! It's not like he kissed me!' i yell back at her; feeling my fangs tingle with movement. _He probably would've, maybe i should've let him..._ The frown disappears from her face. 'You didn't?' 'Of course i didn't. Are you kidding me? I've known the man all of 2 days!' i let go of her arm as she begins to relax. 'I don't like him or anything. I don't even know him. The last thing i need here is a distraction...' i push my hair out of my eyes. At least, i dont think i like him... 'Feelings like that make you weak. You know me; i am certainly not weak...' She sighs. 'I'm sorry. i just got really...' 'Jealous? Worked up over nothing?' i interrupt. She nods in agreement. 'There's nothing to worry about Sierra. Go for your life okay?' She smiles. 'Okay.' She turns and begins to walk away. 'Wait a minute, where are you going?' 'I promised some guys from my History class id help them with a 90s themed project. I am, after all, eternally stuck in the 90s...' she spreads her arms wide for emphasis. I laugh. 'Whatever.' I smile a goodbye before heading back the way i came. The sun is beginning to set, and i suddenly realise just how thirsty i am. i head back to the lobby, hoping to find Daniel still here. It's deserted. There's not even anyone behind the reception counters. _Where can i get a little food around here..._ I walk slowly along a corridor next to the reception desk. Its marble, just like the lobby, with huge painted portraits strung to the walls. I admire it all as i follow it along. I come to a large painting of a woman and i stop for a moment. It looks like a classical medieval portrait; I've sat for these myself before. Shes gorgeous; long blonde hair like mine, blue eyes, porcelain white skin with zero imperfections. I tilt my head, noticing the resemblance between Aria and herself; and almost even me. 


	9. Chapter 9

'Its our Goddess Isabella.' A voice says from behind me. Startled, i turn around. Its Damon. My heart speeds up a little. 'Shes pretty.' I say, quickly averting my eyes back to the painting. 'We were told she was the first of us; and Original.' He says, walking closer to me. I cant bare to look at him. 'I dont think there is any such thing.' I say simply. 'Our last headmistress; her name was Victoria. She was made by Isabella.' The news catches me off guard and i look at him. He's standing right beside me now. He doesn't look back; continuing to stare at her. 'Where is she now?' i ask, genuinely curious now. My heart beats faster and faster. 'Victoria is dead, but no one knows if Isabella is still alive; shes supposed to be something like 1000 years old. Victoria never used to think so, so I've been told. I came here after she died.' I stand there in silence, processing this information. Maybe it could be true. For all i know, Isabella herself might have turned me in the field back in 1381. I guess id never know... 'I'm legitimately sorry.' Damon says quickly. This takes me by surprise. 'What?' 'Honestly, i dont even know what happened. I never intended to track you; and i certainly never meant to hurt you...' he says, looking at me slightly. He's actually apologising. _Bad boy Damon is apologising._ 'you're apologising?' He frowns. 'i dont even know why i bother...' he snaps before quickly heading off in the opposite direction. 'No, wait. That's... i just never thought id see the day when youre actually being... nice' i say after him. He stops and looks at me. He says nothing, his face still harsh. He's making an effort; so should i. 'I accept your apology Damon. I know it was an accident. Its really nothing.' 'It was inappropriate. I dont know what possessed me to do such a disgusting thing' he waves his hand towards me. _Okay, now this is getting weird... and rude..._ 'It's fine. Let's just forget about it okay?' I say trying to ignore the tone of his voice. He nods once. 'Good.' We stand there in silence for a moment, awkwardly wondering what's going to happen next. I break the silence. 'Do you know where Daniel is?' 'He's in the common room with the others.' I nod slowly, waiting for him to tell me where that is; he doesn't. 'And that would be...' He points behind me. 'Take the corridor on the left and follow it to the end. The doors will be in front of you' 'Thanks' i say, wondering whether or not i should smile. Things are already awkward. I avoid anymore problems and simply walk away from him. I follow his directions, and sure enough i reach doors on the end of the corridor. I hear talking inside, and i knock loudly. When the door swings open, Daniel is there. 'Eleanor!' he shouts, pulling me in for a hug. I groan. 'Yes Daniel hi. I've been looking for you.' I say trying to break free. 'Come in!' he steps out of the way and i walk inside. The common room is modern. A small kitchen, separated by a half wall; a large black leather L-shaped couch sits opposite a flat screen tv in the living area. I walk further inside, looking around me. 'This is nice' i say, addressing the pack sitting spread out on the couch. 'We have a pool table too' Marco points to a green pool table sitting on the opposite of the room. Glass doors separating it from the lounge. I smile. 'I bet you throw heaps of parties...' i say jokingly. 'We wish!' Daniel says. The door clicks shut. 'Howd you find us?' he asks me. 'I ran into Damon in the corridor.' My statement is followed my several quick intakes of breath around me. I roll my eyes. 'Its nothing. I'm fine. Really, i just want to forget it ever happened...' 'You should stay away from him Eleanor.' Roman says, leaning forward on the sofa. 'He had a lapse. He didn't intentionally...' 'Damon is capable of more than that. He's generally a good leader, but...' Louis interrupts me. 'I'm not talking about this anymore. I'm starving.' I say, cutting the conversation off. 'Haven't you eaten?' Daniel asks me, frowning. i tilt my head. 'What am i supposed to eat, there isn't blood just lying around on the ground is there...' i say sarcastically. Marco laughs behind me. 'You can pick up bottles from the canteen on the oval side of the girls dorm, didn't Stefan show you?' Roman says. 'No, i guess he left that out... speaking of...' i look around me, he isn't there. 'He went hunting. It calms him down.' Daniel smiles a straight line across his face, almost apologetically. 'Hunting for what, animals?' i ask. 'We a human free school in all senses of the word.' Louis says proudly. My mouth hangs open. 'I'm not a bloody vegetarian. I eat people!' i shout, very unladylike. Daniel takes my hand. 'Not anymore, you don't. You drink the bottled animal blood or you starve.' 'I just need to get off the grounds, i only need like, one human a month...' A month is pushing it, but i could do it. I dont enjoy killing, but its my nature; and i accepted that a long time ago. 'We need permission to go off site. And you won't get it to hunt humans.' I groan. 'Are you serious!? I'm going to die here!' i plop myself down onto the couch next to Marco. 'I've drank human blood since i was made, after so long doing so, i cant change now.' I try to get Marco to sympathise with me. He grins. 'I know what youre doing. Not happening.' I groan again. 'I will rip all of your heads off if you dont help me' i stand, demandingly. They all laugh in unison. Marco smacks me on the butt, and i turn and glare at him. 'Go for it, i wont mind honey...' he chuckles. He's cheeky. I almost laugh, but stop myself just in time. 'Just try. Stefan and Damon used to be like you; look at them now.' Daniel says positively I glare at him. _Yeah right..._ 'Okay, look, we'll come with you. We will tackle this together!' he says, like he's finishing a pep talk speech. He grabs my hand and drags me out the door, leaving it wide open as we head toward the canteen. When we arrive at the canteen on the oval, its quite busy. There are more people out here than yesterday, and they all seem happier for some reason. Daniel leads me up to the counter, and we're greeted by a small older woman. 'What are you after love?' she asks Daniel nicely. He shoots me a quick smile, before looking back at her. 'Well have one of everything thanks.' The woman gives us a look, like were crazy. _We are..._ The woman puts 4 clear glass bottles on the counter. They all look identical, except the labels are different coloured. Daniel scoops them up in his arms and walks away, and i follow him to the Rotunda. As we sit, he pops the metal top off each one. 'Okay, the schools become more money efficient over the years; they used to drain animals into bloodbags...' My stomach churns at the thought. '...Now, we recycle the bottles. So dont throw them away.' He says handing me a bottle with a green label. There's nothing written on it, its just green. I sniff the red liquid inside and almost gag. 'This is revolting!' I say. I try to give the bottle back to him. 'Shush! All the students hear frown upon non vegetarians...' He pushes my hand away. 'Just try it.' I look at the bottle in my hand. 'I already know i wont like it...' 'You need to be open minded okay.' I sigh. I really am thirsty. I bring the bottle to my lips, and let a small amount of blood into my mouth. I swallow it quickly, but not quick enough to not taste it. I splutter, sending the remnants over the decking of the rotunda. 'That's horrible! What the hell is that?!' 'Deer' I internally scream. 'I cant do this! This is unnatural!' i stand up quickly. 'You need to try the rest, if you cant stomach any of these, you really will starve.' I look at him. _He's right._ He hands me another bottle with a blue label. 'This one is...' 'No i dont wanna know!' i interrupt. I sip it and swallow. That ends with the same reaction as the green labelled one. 'Okay okay, not that one...' Daniel picks up another-yellow label this time; Then another-black label. Each one i sip and spit all over the place. They are all as disgusting as each other. 'Maybe if you drink from the vein...' Daniel stands, leaving the bottles behind and drags me along behind him back towards the main building. 'wait what?' 'Maybe you just need to hunt and kill for yourself; its different that way.' He says, pulling harder and harder. I force him to stop. 'No! Daniel, i cant! i have no idea how to do that, and i dont want to.' 'Do you want to starve?' I stare at him. 'It's the same as hunting a human; except your prey sometimes fights back. It's simple, we'll teach you...' Before i know it I'm back in the common room with the pack. Daniel is running around super fast, and i have no idea what he's doing. 'What's going on? Howd it go?' marco asks. 'Well, not too great...' At that moment, Stefan walks through the door. Everyone stops; and Stefan frowns, confused. 'What's going on here?' Daniel looks around before clearing his throat. 'Well. Were taking Eleanor hunting.' He says wearily. 'Take her to the canteen; thats ridiculous.' He says, heading toward the kitchen. 'She cant keep any of it down. She doesn't like it...' 'I eat people.' I say bluntly; saves everyone sidestepping around the fact. Stefan raises his brows. 'That, i didn't know...' he looks shocked. He runs his fingers through his short spikey hair. 'Okay, well thats an issue...' Things stay quiet for a moment before Stefan speaks up again. 'Okay, ill take you off site.' He says, before quickly walking up the stairs near the kitchen. 'What's up there?' i ask Daniel. 'Our rooms...' _They all live in here._ '..."warrior" thing' he continues, he mustve known i was confused. After a few minutes Stefan returns. 'Lets go, the sun will be gone soon.' Stefan heads towards the door. 'Ill tell aria then catch up.' Daniel say as he follows along behind. 'No Daniel, stay here. Ill take her. Youll be distracting.' Stefan says.

Daniel nods, but he looks hurt. I smile apologetically at him. 'Good luck' he says, just before the doors close behind us.


	10. Chapter 10

As we head out the front gates, i consider for a moment making a break for it. I could track and drain a human before Stefan could even catch me; but i shake the thought from my mind. If i want to enjoy it here, i need to try to live their way. I follow Stefan through the forest. It begins to look familiar and i realise we're heading the direction we came to the school from a few days ago. The sky is turning pink, and i know I'm running out of time. Suddenly Stefan stops and faces me. 'Okay, you basically just have to do what you normally do when tracking a human; just with an animal.' He walks around behind me and places his hands on my shoulders. 'You need to listen for sounds of movement. Not the breeze in the trees or anything. Really concentrate...' _I cant concentrate when youre touching me..._ Finally he lets go of my shoulders, and i close my eyes. I tune my hearing. I can hear breathing; my own, and Stefans. I can hear the birds in distance high in the trees. Its peaceful out here. Something grabs my attention, and instinctively i run towards it. I can hear it running along the ground; breathing. I track it, staying close by until i find the right moment. I dont know what it is, but its food, and i have to try. In a heartbeat, i leap into the air and land on the creature. It roars underneath me, but i dont have time to think about it. I force myself to sink my teeth into it neck, and it struggles beneath me. It slashes about, trying to break free, but I'm ten times stronger than it. I hold my breath, trying not to smell or taste the blood. I gulp down mouthful after mouthful, but once i get to my third, i have to stop. I let the animal go, and it runs off while i spit the remaining blood out. Stefan runs up to me, puffing. 'What happened?!' I splutter. 'Its just as awful...' i manage to say, before i throw up the contents of my stomach onto the ground. 'Shit, Eleanor...' Stefan reaches down to me, pulling my hair away from my face. The embarrassment kills me. I had done such a good job, only to let it go to waste. Plus, Stefan had just seen me puke. I wipe my hand across my mouth, trying to clean my face off. I look at him; he looks sad. Tired, but mostly sad. 'I tried though. Its just as gross as the bottles.' I say, defeated. He rubs my shoulder. 'Its fine. Look, we'll figure out something.' He says, helping me stand. His face softens. 'You should be proud though, you did just wrestle a Puma.' I look at him in shock. 'Really? Is that what it was?' holy shit. He chuckles. 'Yeah! Just wait til the rest of the pack hear about it.' I cant help but laugh when i imagine the look on daniels face. We head back to the grounds, and back to the common room. The sun has completely set by the time we arrive. When we walk into the common room, Stefan stops. 'Where have you been?' i hear Damon ask as i walk into the room. He glares at me, then back at Stefan. 'Where were you two?' he asks, growing angrier. 'Damon, dont even try with the whole pretending to care shit, we're not buying it.' Stefan snaps. He walks to the kitchen and grabs a bottle from it for himself. Damon looks at me waiting for his answer. I swallow. 'We just went hunting thats all.' I shrug. 'That's not necessary.' He says. 'It was their last option Damon.' Daniel pipes up from his spot on the lounge. 'She's a human drinker.' Damons face changes, from anger to confusion. I nod. 'It didn't work.' I say to him, then look at Daniel. 'So what now?' he asks me. 'I dont know.' I say, sitting next to him on the couch. I let myself relax. _I'm actually exhausted..._ 'Ill speak with the headmistress tomorrow...' Stefan calls from the kitchen. '... She might make an exception.' 'You know that wont happen.' Damon says quickly. I watch him pick up a pool que from beside the pool table and make a break. He's playing by himself. Stefan groans. 'Damon, i wasn't talking to you. You dont speak for Aria.' I see Damon shoot Stefan a glare. There's so much tension between them. _I must ask what its all about..._ 'Brother, i actually do. Remember I'm the chief around here...' he says, before pocketing another pool ball. I sit there in silence; i cant get involved. 'So what, Damon? are you going to stop her from getting the food she needs? Are you going to deny her what she has survived on for 600 years?' Stefan has slowly edged closer to Damon, but has come to a stop. 'Yes, Stefan; Because if i allow it, other students will want to have a go too. Its not happening.' _He's actually not going to budge. He hasn't changed at all._ Just when i thought i was getting somewhere; its ripped from me again. I sigh. I hear a rumble deep from within Stefans throat. Daniel tenses beside me, and i notice the rest of the pack do too. My heart quickens. 'Back down, Stefan. You are letting your feelings get in the way of your better judgement.' Damon stands the pool que against the table. His face hardens. 'Guys, stop.' I snap, quickly rising from the couch. They both look at me. 'This is stupid okay. I cant stay here; at this school. If i physically cant follow the rules, then i cant stay.' I accept my fate. 'Don't be daft!' Daniel shouts from beside me. 'You've been here like, 3 days. We'll sort something.' 'I will talk to the headmistress now...' Stefan heads for the door. 'Don't. She's with Gia.' Damon says sternly. 'Who is Gia?' i ask. 'That's Arias daughter. Her name is Giovanna; Gia for short.' Daniel informs me. I smile. I desperately want to meet this baby. 'Fine, ill ask her tomorrow morning. Can you hold off until then?' Stefan looks at me. I fake a smile. 'Of course i can.' _I really dont know..._ 'Okay, ill sort it.' He glares at Damon once more, before turning and heading upstairs. 'I'm going to bed. Goodnight.' He calls out. We say goodnight in unison as he disappears. We all sit in silence for a moment, before Marco switches on the tv. _"_ _Welcome to NY news. We have unconfirmed reports that actress and model Eleanor Deveroux has been abducted...'_ My head shoots up. 'what!' i shout at the tv. _'_ _Sources have only today received information relating to Miss Deveroux, with reports saying she was spotted with long time friend Sierra Mahoney, being forced into a car by a man...'_ 'This cant be happening...' I say. I hear Damon laughing. 'This isn't funny Damon! This is my career; my reputation! There will be police looking for me!' i shout at him. 'Its hilarious. They think we kidnapped you.' 'Well, at the time Damon, we thought we were being kidnapped.' He's still chuckling to himself. 'Eleanor, no one really cares about you. In a few more days, you'll both be yesterdays news.' He says bluntly. _'_ _If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Miss Deveroux and Miss Mahoney, please contact NYPD...'_ The tv is suddenly switched off. I glare at Damon, furious. 'You know what Damon? You're an even bigger asshole than i first thought...' I begin, standing up from the couch. '...You've obviously had such a shitty fucking life that you feel the need to torment those around you; to make yourself feel better. This afternoon i thought maybe you'd grown some balls. It appears they were only temporary...' I spit the words at him like they're on fire, my rage taking over. I turn on my heels and head straight for the door. Suddenly, I'm forced backwards into a wall. Damon has me pinned, fangs bared and veins hard. I snarl, and the pack jump to defensive positions. I struggle to break free, but he snarls at me again. 'Damon!' Marco shouts from behind us. 'If you ever speak to me like that again, you will regret it...' he growls, puffing. I manage to get loose and shove him backwards. Hard. He nearly hits the floor. I take off, running as fast as i can down the corridors and lobby, and back to my room. I slam the doors behind me and catch my breath. 'Jerk' i say to myself. He has the worst temper. I'm so mad at him i could rip his head off. I throw myself onto my bed and relax. My temper hasn't been this bad before either; at least not in a very long time. i must be really thirsty. I close my eyes, just for a moment... 


	11. Chapter 11

My eyes flutter open. Its still dark outside, with no sign of sun rise. _Why am i awake?_ There's a knock on my door. I'm starting to get sick of being woken up. I groan inwardly as i head for the door. 'What.' I say bluntly as i crack the door open. When i look up; its Damon. 'ugh' I roll my eyes, and close the door in his face; at least i try to. His hand is keeping it open. 'Seriously Damon its like 3 in the morning, what the fuck do you want?' i ask him. 'Just... let me come in and ill explain.' He presses on the door but i push back, keeping it only ajar. 'No way Damon. That's the last thing i want right now.' 'Eleanor, can you shove your ego up your ass for a moment and hear me out?' he snaps. I fling the door open and glare at him. 'You think thats a good way to get me to listen to you, huh? You need a brain scan.' I give him as much sass as possible. He opens his mouth but closes it again suddenly. 'Look, I'm not going to apologise because quite frankly, I'm not sorry for what happened a few hours ago...' he begins. I snort at him. 'But, whether you believe it or not, i actually dont want you to starve. its part of my job description.' I roll my eyes. I'm not buying it. 'Eleanor, let me in.' He says seriously, looking down at me. As if i was being forced against my will by a ghost, i let him push open the door. He walks into the middle of my room before turning to me. 'Do you want to starve?' He asks me simply. 'what?' 'Okay. let's try a simpler question. Do you want to leave here?' 'After the shit that's happened, I'm not sure anymore.' I say. Its the truth; i really dont know if i want to stay. All i know is I'm hungry and i need to feed. 'You haven't fed in at least three days. I am here to offer you a short term, yet potentially lifesaving alternative to starvation.' I frown at him suspiciously. 'I'm listening...' he seems like he is really trying to help. 'I drink animal blood to survive now right? Which means; the blood i drink sustains me, and gives me what i need to stay alive. My body processes it and lets the nutrients absorb into my blood.' I nod, following. 'My blood is nutrient rich enough to keep me alive. If you were to drink it, theoretically, it should be enough to sustain you...' I instantly stop him. 'No. Absolutely not. Not happening.' 'Don't you get it? Its basically like I've done the hard work for you, I've processed what i needed and kept it; it runs in my veins. It should be enough for you.' 'Damon, you are the last person i want to drink from. Even if you were the last human on earth, i still wouldn't drink from you.' _Okay that was probably a little too harsh..._ 'Then you either starve, or you leave. Choice is yours. But i doubt Sierra will leave with you. She thoroughly enjoys it here.' 'Are you trying to guilt trip me Damon?' i glare at him. He sighs and then shrugs. 'Fine. Do whatever you want. I was just trying to help.' He heads for the door. I've never heard of being able to feed of other vampires before. Its always been humans, or animals. But vampires? I mean, what he's saying makes sense theoretically, but do i want to try it? _This could be another of his games..._ Blood sharing is supposed to be sacred, but i dont really care. I dont want to leave; I've only been here a few days. But i also dont want to starve. what harm could it do... 'Wait.' I call to him just before he leaves. He looks at me curiously. 'I mean, i guess what youre saying makes sense; even though I've never heard of it working in al my 600 plus years. But, there's no way I'm doing this with you...' i gesture towards him. He snorts at me. 'Good luck finding someone who is willing to do this for you, who doesn't find the whole thing sacred and holy.' I frown. 'Stefan would.' _I know he would..._ He glares at me. 'Stefan would also fall in love with you afterwards, after sharing that " _bond"_...' He says angrily. He's probably right. I suspect Stefan already has feelings for me, and i dont think i want that to go any further. Plus, sierra and i only just made up, id hate to start another war. _I really dont think i want to do this with Damon either..._ I sigh. 'Okay, okay. But this is because I'm desperate. And it means nothing...' He holds up his hand to stop me. 'Duly noted.' He swings the door shut behind him, and walks towards me. My heart begins to pound, i dont know why I'm starting to get nervous. _its not like you like him, youre just feeding, he is your prey..._ I tell myself over and over. 'So, how is this supposed to work?' i ask him. I flex my arms, trying to mentally prepare myself. He looks at me blankly. 'How do you think this is supposed to work? Drink...' he says, pointing simply to his neck. I look at it, quickly determining which veins are which. 'This isn't going to work like this...' i bite the bullet and grab his arms, pulling him to sit on the edge of my bed. He looks at me strangely, but obliges with little struggle. I sit beside him. 'Okay this is super weird and all, and i really dont think...' 'Stop talking already.' He says hastily. I push everything I'm thinking and feeling aside, i have to stop caring about what this is supposed to mean; he doesn't, neither should i. I let my fangs slide through gums as i shuffle closer to him. He doesn't look at me, instead twisting his body so i have better access to his neck. I move in, but my body forces me back before i get close enough to bite. 'Wait, cant you just, bleed into a glass or something?' His head snaps towards me, frowning. 'Eleanor...' 'Okay okay...' i take a deep breath and lean in again. His scent overwhelms me, the smell of wood and citrus; he either has really great shampoo or a good quality aftershave. I visually line up my bite, avoiding the big veins that would cause him to bleed to death if he was human. Even as a vampire, itd probably cause him to pass out if he lost too much blood. _Get it over and done with Eleanor..._ I bite, my fangs sinking deep into his neck. I feel him breathe in quickly as he tenses; he mustn't be used to being bitten. His hand grips my thigh. _He's an asshole; of course he wouldn't be..._ Blood flows into my mouth, and it doesn't taste bad. I take mouthful after mouthful, relishing the relief of finally feeding. He is my prey. I let my instincts take over, plunging my fangs deeper into his neck. More blood pours into my mouth, and i keep drinking. I never want to stop. His hold tightens around my leg, almost causing me pain. I withdraw my fangs for half a second, before shifting slightly and biting down again. It feels good. _Really good._ Part of me wants to just strip him naked and bite him all over. _What am i saying?!_ Damon groans deep in his throat, and in an instant, his hand is around the back of my neck pulling me backwards. My body begs me to stay latched on, but Damon has his way. My cells scream, telling me to keep feeding. He pulls me back just far enough to look at me. 'Enough.' He says simply. As my body begins to let my brain regain control, i begin to feel slightly dizzy. I bring my hand to my mouth, wiping it clean. My eyes try to focus on the mess I've made of his, but its a blur. His neck is bloody, and its dripped onto his t-shirt. _What is happening..._ Then it clicks. 'How much have you had to drink tonight Damon...' i mumble, trying to speak clearly. 'Nowhere near as much as i should have...' He says bluntly, before removing his shirt in front of me. 'What the hell are you doing?' i ask him. I try to regain my footing, but stumble like a drunk. He wipes his shirt against his neck, smearing the blood. I rub my head. 'There is so much alcohol Damon...' He snorts. I blink furiously to focus my vision. I nearly faint there and then. He is built, each muscle expertly chiselled. He is super fit, and super attractive. _No Eleanor, stop..._ 'Damon, you should've told me you were drunk!' i splutter. 'I'm not drunk. Its had no effect on me.' 'well it has on me...' the world starts tilting around me. I've never been so drunk before. _Of course he'd leave out that important detail..._ He begins to head for the door. 'wait, you cant leave like that!' i say, standing quickly. I feel myself begin to sway, and i grab hold of one of the posters of my bed to keep myself upright. 'I will leave however i want. It will be less weird if i leave like this than if i leave with a shirt covered in blood.' He continues to the door. 'Damon.' He looks at me. 'Thanks' i say, feeling thoroughly full. He nods once, and then disappears. _What the hell did i just do...?_


	12. Chapter 12

Almost a week passed before i left my room. The following morning after Damon left, i felt so hung-over i couldn't even move. I haven't wanted to go anywhere else since. I didn't want to run into him and have it be awkward. Sierra had been attending her classes nonstop, and had only stopped by once. I told her i was ill and I'd talk to her as soon as i felt better. That was 5 days ago. The only person I've seen properly is Daniel. He came around at least once every day to keep me filled in on the gossip and whatnot. He had been passing on messages to the rest of the pack too, telling them i was fine i was just having some time to myself. Today he showed with a new Iphone. I had told him that id lost mine in the field on the way here, so he went and bought me a new one. I was grateful to finally be able to catch up on the news and social stuff. The news had been reporting that they now suspect Sierra and i dead, and that it was now a recovery mission. Not only had i missed my own party that i hosted, i had missed another VS fashion show, and probably several movie offers. Being here has made me forget that I'm basically a celebrity, and I've begun to feel normal again. No paparazzi, no constant phone calls... its been nice. _Not as nice as Damon shirtless..._ Daniel smacks me on the arm. 'Hello? Are you even listening?'. I'm jolted out of my daydream 'Yeah, i am. I heard every word.' I lie. He smiles at me. 'Good. So, the guys are really worried now, Stefan hasn't stopped talking about you...' I sigh. 'I bet he hasn't...' I feel bad for ignoring him. Hed came around to my room after the third day of not hearing from me, and i had ignored him then too. Daniel looks at me sadly. 'I think you should come back out and join the real world. This ball will be great for you!' his face brightens when he finishes talking. He has been telling me about this annual ball all morning. Apparently its tradition, and its the first year Aria has been in charge of it all. 'You dont understand Daniel. It's just not a good idea that i go...' 'As if you dont want to though...' he cuts me off. 'Of course i want to; i haven't been to a proper ball since the early 1800s' 'Then come!' he grasps my arm and shakes it a little. I shake my head. 'Maybe. Ill think about it.' 'At least come out of here. Go and see Sierra.' He suggests to me. 'She is fine. She's probably made a bunch of new friends by now.' 'She's actually been with Stefan a lot...' I glare at him. 'She has?' She really does like him. He frowns at me 'why does it seem like you care?' he asks suspiciously. 'No! I don't care at all... they can do whatever they want. I'm happy for her.' I say as genuinely as i can. _I don't like anyone. I don't need anyone..._ Someone knocks on my door, and i quickly glance at Daniel before hopping off the bed to answer it. Its Stefan. He smiles at me. 'Hey stranger. What's been going on with you?' I smile back, actually glad to see him. 'Stefan hey. Sorry, I've just been a bit under the weather...' Suddenly his arms are around me in a huge hug. I giggle. He finally lets go and walks into my room. He gives Daniel a little wave before turning back to me 'So you're okay now then?' he asks. 'Yeah, I'm heaps better.' I lie. 'I just... had trouble keeping the animal blood down, it kept me sick for a few days but I'm used to it now.' 'Really? Id totally forgotten to ask about that...' Daniel says. 'Yep. I'm officially a vegetarian.' I laugh, trying to sounds convincing. Stefans smile widens. 'Great, so you're not leaving?' 'I'm not going anywhere.' 'Oh that's great!' Stefan says excitedly. He seems extra energized today, and i wonder what's going on with him. He looks at Daniel. 'Can you give us a minute?' he asks him. Daniel nods, winking at me before heading towards the door. 'I'll come find you later.' He says before he closes the doors behind him. I look back at Stefan. 'What's up?' His face changes as he moves closer to me. 'So, i dont know if Daniel told you about the Ball tomorrow evening...' 'Yeah he did. It sounds lovely; i haven't been to one in almost 200 years.' I smile. 'Well, i was wondering if you would like to accompany me to it?' he smiles brightly. It catches me off guard. 'Oh, Stefan, i dont think I'm going to go.' 'Why not?' he frowns. 'You said yourself it sounds great, and you haven't been to one in ages, so what's stopping you?' _The fact that i drank from your brother and i dont want to see him..._ 'I just... i dont think itll be a good idea. Damon will be there, and whenever he's around...' Stefan grabs my hands and interrupts. 'Don't worry about him. He'll be too busy with the professors to bother you. I wont let him hurt you.' My heart flutters. Its so nice having someone genuinely care for you, and want to protect you. I shake my head. 'I cant, Stefan. Besides, you should be taking Sierra.' I pull my hands out of his. His expression changes, he's confused. 'Why would i take Sierra?' I raise my brows at him. 'Are you that blind Stefan? She likes you! She has since she saw you in the mall the other week.' I stifle a laugh. 'Really? But I've been hanging out with her these past few days and...' He pauses. 'Oh. _Oh._ It makes sense now...' I laugh. 'You really couldn't tell?' 'well, i can now...' He laughs along with me. 'Seriously, take Sierra. I know how much she'd love to go with you.' 'I dont want to take her though; i want to take you.' I look up at him. His face looks sad, and i start to feel guilty. _I'm sick of this guilty feeling, its not an emotion that should be in my brain..._ 'Okay, ill go...' The smile comes back to his face. 'But just dont expect me to schmooze any professors.' 'I won't, i promise. You should ask Aria to borrow a dress, I'm sure she wouldn't mind.' I dont really want to talk to her, but then i remember the baby... 'Yeah, you know what, i think i might go and do that right now' i smile at him. We both walk out of my room and down the corridor. I stop when i get to Arias office. 'Ill see you later.' Stefan calls as he heads down the stairs. I knock on the door. Its silent for a moment, before it swings open. 'Miss Deveroux. Come in.' She says quietly before walking back into her office. She's carrying a small bundle of pink blanket in her arms. 'I'm sorry, i didn't mean to interrupt...' 'She holds up her hand to stop me. 'You didn't.' Shes carrying her baby. My heart begins to melt. 'Um, is this your daughter I've been told about?' She nods, walking over to me. She gently moves the blanket away from her face, and i see the most beautiful child I've ever seen. Her pale skin seems to shine, and she has golden hair like her mum. She looks so peaceful sleeping the way she is. My heart grows. 'She's absolutely gorgeous.' I say, beginning to feel clucky. 'She is. She's a blessing.' Aria says, gently rocking Gia in her arms. 'But, how is it even possible?' Aria takes a seat at her desk. 'Its very hard to explain. I had only been a vampire for a short while, i didn't understand it myself.' 'Stefan told me you're a descendant from your goddess or something?' She nods. 'I am. Apparently my blood line grants me gifts no other vampire possesses. It allows me to function as a vampire, but not technically be dead. Its the easiest way to put it...' 'So, this isn't just a one off? You could have more children if you wanted?' I'm astounded. I cried for days when i realised id never had a baby of my own. Its hurt me for 635 years. 'I wont be having more. But i could.' She says simply. 'how is that even possible?' 'Unfortunately, i cant say. Otherwise every vampire in the world would be having children.' I shake my head. 'Its incredible. I cant even process it.' I pause. 'Where is her dad?' 'He goes interstate occasionally. He heads a council that governs the other vampiric colleges in the country.' 'Really? I didn't know there was more...' its true. I didn't. That's why i wanted to go here so badly. 'Yes there is. Anyway, are you here for something?' I clear my throat. 'Oh yes, actually. Um, i was wondering if you might have a gown i could borrow for the Ball tomorrow night? I wouldn't ask unless i was desperate...' i ask politely as i can. I haven't even checked my wardrobe for a dress. 'I might be able to loan you one. You must bring it back in perfect condition however.' I look at her. 'Of course. I've worn many a dress over my years remember, dresses that puff out a meter from your feet...' i laugh. She doesn't find me as funny as i find myself. 'Anyway, thank you. I appreciate that.' 'Who are you going with?' She asks me curiously, a hint of a smile on her lips. 'Uh, Stefan. He asked me to go with him.' She nods, completely smiling now. 'Ah, the nice Salvatore brother; good choice.' I frown at her. 'Choice? I haven't made any choice. I don't need to choose between either of them; i don't want them...' I start getting defensive. She chuckles. 'Miss Deveroux, you are not the first woman to walk through these doors and get up in arms when the Salvatore brothers' names are mentioned; You're just the only one they've both shown even a remote amount of interest in.' I stare at her. 'That's not true, even if it was, i dont need a man in my life to distract me.' 'That's what i told myself. Look where i am now, because i let myself be open-minded.' She looks down at the bundle of beauty in her arms, smiling. 'Ill drop a dress to your room later today.' She says, without taking her eyes off Gia. 'Thanks.' I head out of the office and down through the lobby to the East courtyard. I need to scout out my surroundings more. I walk along the row of classrooms and past crowds of students gathered around lockers. Suddenly i reach a gate. Its just like a miniature version of the front gate. I open it, giving it a hard push as the hinges are rusty. In the middle of the tiny courtyard, is a marble fountain. Its 3 tiers high, and in immaculate condition. _This must be fountain Stefan was telling me about..._ I walk over to it, running my fingers over the smooth stone. It's beautiful; it must be old. The courtyard is surrounded entirely by the walls of other buildings. Each wall is covered high in bright green vines with little purple flowers on them. Its so quiet; the only sounds are those of nature. 'I could sit here for hours...' i say to myself, admiring what's around me. I notice a small golden plaque mounted on one of the walls. The vines have been cleared so it can be seen. I walk over to it. _In memory of our Goddess Isabella_ _No matter where you wander_ _May your journey be wonderful_

I smile. Its sweet that they believe so strongly that this woman was the sole creator of Vampirism. I reach to pick a flower off the vines, when it burns through the skin of my fingers.

'Shit!" i cry out, releasing it instantly. _Vervain?_

'Its a new breed.' I spin around quickly. Sierra stands before me.

'God, Sierra, you cant sneak up on me like that; you know how i feel about that.' I place my hand on my heart, trying to slow its pace.

'Sorry. Apparently the last headmistress started to grow it before she died.'

I frown at her. 'How do you know all this?'

'Stefan told me.'

I nod. _Of course he did..._

She seems angry. 'What's wrong?' i ask her.

'Well, besides the fact that you disappeared for a week and told me you were sick which you clearly weren't, nothing is wrong' she folds her arms.

I roll my eyes. 'Sierra, enough. I've had a lot on my plate okay? i haven't been able to adjust like you have...'

'Why, because you have all the warriors falling at your feet and you don't know what to do with yourself?'

I raise my brows in surprise. 'Sassy. Its got nothing to do with them, that's not even true...'

'Yes, Eleanor it is true. You have them bending over backwards for you, and you've completely ditched me since we arrived. Of course I've adjusted better; I've had to go off and make new friends because unlike you, friends dont just come up and pick me because I'm a model.'

I'm shocked. I can feel my blood begin to boil. I take a deep breath. 'Sierra, you're over reacting yet again...' i press my fingertips to my temples. '...I haven't fed since i left the city...' _a little lie, but who cares._ '... i was attacked, almost drained of blood, i can't stomach animal blood and I'm forbidden to have human blood. You'll always have me as your friend Sierra. If that's all you've got to worry about, youve got it pretty damn easy...'

She snorts at me. 'You're too busy with your boyfriends to care about me. I've stuck by your side for twenty years, and the instant a man comes along you shove me aside.'

'Oh my god Sierra! Are you even listening to yourself? I made you, do you think I'd still be with you after twenty years if i didn't care?' i raise my voice.

She stands the in silence, angry but with tears in her eyes. _This has to be about Stefan..._

'Is all this because Stefan asked me to the ball? Its just a stupid dance...'

'He asked you to the ball?' She asks in astonishment. _Shit._

I sigh. 'Look just dont even worry...'

'Of course he asked you to the Ball! Its not like id been trying for weeks to get him to give me a chance or anything, because _you_ always get what _you_ want...' She spits at me.

'You're acting like a god damn child Sierra; maybe that's why you weren't invited. What are you, twelve? This isn't fucking Cinderella okay!' I decide in that moment I'm not dealing with this right now, and i leave Sierra by herself in the courtyard. I head back to my room, not stopping for anyone or anything.

I spent the rest of my day in my room. Sierra is so prone to overreacting; i cant keep up. I was sitting on the couch when i heard a knock at my door. I stood up and walked over to it.

Aria stands in front of me with a large dress bag in her hand. I smile.

'Wow thanks to much.' I say gratefully as she hands it to me.

'You haven't seen it yet, but i think its the only one thatll fit.'

'I'm sure itll be perfect. I really appreciate this.' I grin. She nods simply as i turn to hang the dress in my wardrobe.

'Eleanor, Stefan is one of the finest students here. He has been through more than you can ever imagine, so has Damon i suppose. He's like a brother, or even a son to me. Do not hurt him.'

I stare at her as i place the dress in the cupboard. 'What makes you think i would hurt him? I wouldn't.'

'Good. Make sure you dont.' She turns and walks away. _That was weird..._ I pull down the zip on the dress bag just enough so i can see the colour; i want it to be a surprise. I see glittery red material poke through and i smile before quickly closing the bag again. _Good choice._ I quickly close my bedroom doors and head for the shower; itll clear my head and make me relax. I strip down and let the water flow over my head. I stand there for a moment, trying to process what Aria had said.  
I dont know why she thinks i would hurt Stefan. Honestly, i probably wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone; except for maybe Damon. I'm generally not for violence; I've seen how things end when one is too quick to turn to violence before anything else. Stefan has been good to me; i have no reason to hurt him. I start to wonder if she was talking about emotionally, rather than physically...

Surely he doesn't want me...  
Sierra does, but i dont...  
I dont think...

I decide that tonight I've got to stop things from going further with Stefan. Its only going to end badly between all of us, especially Sierra. Even though she just had a go at me, i still dont want to hurt her. Besides, maybe Stefan would be good for her; teach her something and make her adjust her attitude. I want to see them both happy.

I turn off the shower and step out, wrapping a towel around me. I quickly throw some clothes on and get into bed. I dont know how early it is, but i know i am tried. I let myself drift off.


	13. Chapter 13

My phone begins to buzz on my nightstand, dragging me kicking and screaming out of my sleep. I lazily reach out for it and read the message i had received.

 ***You're supposed be attending classes here you know. Aria told me to remind you. She's scheduled a class for you to teach in a couple of days. BTW, its late afternoon now you've slept all day you lazy thing; and the Ball starts at 7. I'm bringing Sierra, she wanted to come. Stefan asked for you too – D***

Daniel should be my own personal alarm clock. I skip over the bit about teaching, deciding there's no way in hell thats going to happen. I quickly type a reply.

* **Sierra and i had a tiff. She didn't like the fact Stefan asked me to go with him. We wont be talking tonight. As for the ball, ill be there in time; dont worry. Tell Stefan ill meet him there***

I dont need to cause anymore drama by arriving with him too. Daniel told me the other day that its being held in the dining hall, just around to corner from the boys common room; I'm sure i can find it myself. I look at the time, deciding its probably time to get ready. _I wonder what Sierra is going to wear..._

I start to feel bad. Normally we would help each other out with parties and things, and for her to be off doing her own thing feels strange. I finally get out of my bed and head to the wardrobe, pulling out the dress bag Aria gave me yesterday. I unzip it fully this time, and my breath is blown away.

The red dress glitters in the light. In flows to the floor, with a long split up the side. The straps adorned with silver jewels and beads. I notice how long the straps are and I turn it over to see an extremely low backline. It's stunning; classy yet sexy. I wonder where Aria has worn this to. I quickly pull it on and stand in front of the mirror.

I cant help but grin. I feel beautiful. I've never worn anything so spectacular, not even to a premiere or party. This dress is truly one of a kind. I spin around, admiring how perfectly the dress fits. I never realised how similar in size Aria and i were. I slip on a pair of silver heels i find in the wardrobe as well. _I love how everything in here is just perfect, its so coincidental..._

I quickly head into my bathroom and style my hair, praying it does what i need it to. I spray my hair to the side, hoping the elegant curls will match my dress. I finish my look with some bright red lipstick and a bit of mascara.

'Damn, girl' i tell my reflection, happy with the finished product. I head back out and pick my phone up off the nightstand; its 6.45pm already. I quickly toss my phone on my bed, deciding to leave it at home, when there's a knock on my door. I readjust my dress before i open it.

Stefan looks at me, his eyes drifting over my shoulders and my dress all the way to the floor. He says nothing, just looking at me. I smile, his suit fits him perfectly; even though he looks like a penguin.

'Stefan...' I say, making him drag his eyes off me.

'You look unbelievable Eleanor.' He says. If i could blush, i know i would be. He's so sweet...

'Thank you. I told Daniel to tell you that id meet you there...'

'He did, but i told him that was nonsense. Besides, i have something id like to give you...' He says as he reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulls out a silver pendant and chain and unclips the clasp. 'This is something I've had for a while now, and i thought it would go with your dress.' He lifts the necklace, and i turn so he can put it on. I look down at it as he fastens the clasp again. It has several ruby red stones on the front and a hinge on the side. Its a locket.

'Stefan this is beautiful. How did you know it would match?' i ask, turning back to face him. He grins.

'I asked the Headmistress this morning.'

I laugh. 'Wow. Stefan this is lovely, but i cant keep it...'

'If that's what you decide that's fine. Just wear it for tonight.'

'Thank you. That's really sweet.' My heart swells. The pendant looks rather old, but in great condition. I run my fingers over the metal. _This man is genuinely caring and kind... maybe you should give him a chance..._

'Ready?' he asks, offering me his arm. _Too late to worry about drama now..._

'Sure.'

He escorts me all the way to the ballroom. Several staff members in the lobby stopped to look at me, but i didn't care. I feel like a million dollars. We make it to the dining hall and Stefan opens the door for me. The room is huge. Teachers and students are everywhere, with waiters and waitressing slipping in between groups of people offering drinks. There is an orchestra in one corner of the room playing classical music.

'It really is like a proper ball...' I say to myself as i look around the room. I cant believe how many people are here. Several couples are dancing just in front of the band, waltzing around. The room is full of noise with people talking and laughing, the music and glasses chinking together.

'This one of the most important events of the year for us here.' Stefan says as places my hand around his arm again. I smile.

'They've done well. Modern, yet traditional.'

'Make sure you tell Aria that, she's been stressing over this for a while now.'

Stefan guides me further into the room. People stare at us, whispering as we pass. I try my best to ignore them. He takes a glass from a waiter and hands it to me before taking one for himself, and i smile my thanks. I've never seen many of these people here before, and i realise some of them must be the teachers I've never met.

'Would you like to meet some people?' he asks me.

 _I guess i dont have a choice..._ 'Sure.'

Reluctantly, Stefan brings me over to a group of grey haired men, who grin widely when they see me. I recognise one of them is Professor Thatcher as he extends his hand towards me.

'Miss Deveroux! Wonderful to see you again, I've missed you from my classes...' he says as i lightly shake his hand.

'I know, I'm sorry, its just after the incident I've had some trouble adjusting...'

Another grey haired man places his arm on my shoulder. 'Oh yes, we were informed of that. I do hope youre okay.' He says to me. I fake a smile.

'Yes of course. I'm fine now.' I look towards Stefan hoping he will save me.

He smiles. 'Eleanor, this is Professor McGavin. He teaches History.'

'Lovely to meet you, Eleanor. I hope to see you in my classes next week; your input would be valuable to the rest of the students.' McGavin smiles at me. _I really dont want to talk to people anymore..._

'I look forward to contributing' I lie.

Stefan whisks me away from their group before introducing me to the other men there. I whisper my thanks just before i down my glass of wine.

He laughs 'Not a fan?'

I shake my head. 'No, i mean, i love events like this, I'm just not used to being around so many people...' I say as i look around me. That's when i see her.

Sierra walks arm in arm with Daniel, her flowing white gown following along behind her. With hints of gold scattered around her, she looks like an angel; no, a goddess. She looks stunning and i cant help but smile. She's really put in a lot of effort. _Where did she get that dress...?_

'Is that Sierra?' Stefan asks me.

'Yeah. That's her.' I confirm to him. He smiles.

'It doesn't even look like her, she looks so different.'

I watch her smile and shake hands with some ladies, smiling like shes having the time of her life. I feel proud for a moment, knowing I'm the reason she can act properly around people.

'She really does.' I respond. She looks good. Daniel does too, wearing the whitest of white suits and a light blue tie.

Sierra looks at me, her face hardening for a moment as she looks at my dress, before she arrogantly turns her head and walks away with Daniel in tow. My proud feeling suddenly disappears. I know what she's playing at...

'What's going on with you two anyway?' Stefan asks. I look up at him.

'We had a bit of an argument. She'll get over it soon. Can you get me another glass of wine please?' I ask, handing him my empty glass.

'Sure...'

As he heads off in one direction, i quickly make off in the other, weaving in and out of the people to where Sierra is standing. She's talking to more people, when i interrupt her.

'Can i talk to you for a moment please?' I ask her sternly, making it known that I'm mad.

She fakes a smile. 'No, I'm in the middle of something...' she says simply, before turning back to the guests' she's talking to. I look around quickly for Daniel but he's nowhere in sight. I tug on her arm, dragging her along behind me. 'I wouldn't ask unless it was important Sierra.'

She struggles against me as i drag her out of the main room and outside into a courtyard. Its rather large, with rose bushes everywhere.

She breaks free. 'What the hell are you doing?' she snaps. i glare at her, stepping closer in case people are around.

'I know exactly what youre doing. This isn't a game okay, this is my life now; our lives. Its not a competition as to who can get the guy...'

She snorts. 'I'm not doing anything, I've simply dressed up to attend a party.'

I roll my eyes. 'Sierra, you wouldn't have wanted to come if you didn't know Stefan had asked me. Your jealousy is out of control...'

'It just so happened that i did want to attend, and that Daniel was kind enough to invite me. It has nothing to do with Stefan.' A smirk tugs at her lips and i feel my anger begin to boil over.

'Bullshit Sierra, grow up! I am not trying to intentionally screw you over okay, despite what you think. I've told you this before, there's nothing going on between Stefan and I. If you want him go and freaking take him!' i shout, trying as hard as i can to control my anger.

She stands there silent. I rub my head. 'Do you understand how stupid this is? We are not teenage girls. Why do you not understand what I'm telling you.' I take a deep breath.

'It doesn't matter how much i like him Eleanor, because he will always want you.' She says quietly.

'Oh for gods' sake, Sierra, that's so...'

'Its true! Have you heard how he talks about you?' she says, her voice breaking. Her eyes begin to fill. I stare at her. _This whole thing has already gone too far..._

I take her hand. 'Do not cry, it will stain your dress.' Bloody tears aren't easy to clean. 'You need to stop worrying about what people think of me, and think about yourself. Nothing is going to happen unless you go out and work for it. If you had given up every time someone said something about me instead of you, can you imagine where your life would be at right now; where both our lives would be?'

She sniffles. 'Yeah. But...'

'No buts.'

'I know you like him though.' She interrupts me. 'You dont like admitting it because you think it makes you weak, but you do. I know it, Daniel knows it...'

I think about this for a moment; how ridiculous this all is, fighting over a guy. _But what if she's right? What if i do have feelings for him, and I'm ignoring them because i want to keep my reputation?_ I stand there in silence with her, just looking at her. All i want is for her to be happy, its all I've ever wanted. Yet this is making her miserable.

'You cant put off what you feel either, just because you want me to be happy Eleanor.' She says, wiping a finger underneath her eye. Its like she read my mind.

My brain is working overtime, trying to process what is happening and trying to regain control of my feelings. _No i dont like Stefan. He's sweet and caring like a brother. A hot brother... that has kind of being hitting on me since i arrived... that gave me a necklace..._

 _I like Stefan._

I look at Sierra as a single red tear leaks down her cheek.

'Sierra, i would never act on anything, i know how you feel...'

'That's just it though. Its not how you feel its how he feels about you. I cant change that.'

I shake my head. 'Try. When he realises I'm not putting in any effort he'll move on.'

She wipes her faces and walks away. 'Sierra!' i call after her but she doesn't stop. She disappears back into the hall.

I have no idea how I'm supposed to fix this.

'Yo! Eleanor!' Someone calls out from behind me. I turn to see Marco walking towards me past the extensive plantation of roses. I smile.

'Hey Marco, what are you doing out here?' i laugh, noticing the wobble in his walk. He waves a clear bottle in his hand at me.

'Needed something stronger to get through this night'

I genuinely laugh at him as he gives me a hug. He smells like alcohol; and nothing but. I look at the bottle in his hand.

'Have you had this all to yourself?' i say as i rip the bottle from his hand. He frowns.

'Well... yeah... but its okay because i can handle it. Its hardly anything...'

I frown at him, trying to hide my smile and be serious. 'You're drunk. Go home.' I say as i grab his arm and try to bring him back inside. He pulls back and snatches the bottle back.

'Nah nah nah, i just need to give this back to its rightful owner.' He turns and heads off back in the direction he came. I run in front of him to block his way, almost in hysterics.

'Marco, its empty, there's no point giving it back.' I say in between bursts of laughter.

'Damon told me i had to give it back.'

I stop laughing. 'Damon? He gave this to you?' i begin to feel angry again. _Of course Damon would share his forbidden supply of alcohol..._

Marco nods. I sigh at him. 'Okay, let's go find him and give it back.' I take the bottle from his hand and push him towards the building. I quickly toss the bottle into a nearby bush, and catch up to him to guide him. _I am going to have words with him..._

I manage to get Marco inside in one piece. His wobbles have gotten worse, but I want to keep laughing. I lean him against a wall and tell him to wait as I manage to track down a waiter and ask him to get water. Alcohol affects vampires the same way as humans, and we try and reduce the affects the same way too: water. Once Marco has his glass, i leave him be. Louis or Roman would find him soon enough. I knew he'd be fine. I search around the room in hopes to find Damon so i could give him a thorough talking to.

When i spot him, he is standing in a corner by himself, drink in hand. I frown as i purposely walk over to him. He sees me coming and tries to walk off, but i run in front of him.

'Don't even think about it.' I snap.

He rolls his eyes. 'What do you want, Barbie Satan?' he says taking another sip of his wine.

I take a deep breath. _I dont like his choice of nickname..._ 'Okay, for starters: Barbie Satan? Really...?' He doesn't reply so i continue. '...Secondly, I cant believe you would give Marco a whole bottle of vodka to himself! Are you out of your mind? He's over there...'

Damon cuts me off mid sentence when he grabs my elbow and drags me away. _Now i know how Sierra felt..._

'Keep your voice down.' He whispers angrily.

'Why? Since when you do you care about getting into trouble?' I shake my arm out of his grip.

'Look, he was stressing about tonight, he doesn't do well i crowds; so i lent it to him. I specifically told him not to drink the whole lot...'

'Yeah well he did. I found I'm in that courtyard with the flowers, extremely drunk nearly falling over his own feet!' I say loudly, still trying to stay hushed.

'That is not my problem. He'll be fine. But he owes me a new bottle.' He swallows the last of the wine in his glass before placing it on a passing waiters' tray.

'I cant imagine alcohol is allowed on the premises, Damon.' He shrugs. Suddenly he walks around me and heads back into the other room. I turn around.

'Damon!' I dont have time to say anything else as i see Stefan walking towards me. He looks out into the other room just before he reaches me.

'What did he want?' He asks sternly.

I shake my head. 'Nothing, it was nothing.' I look into the other room to see him talking to Aria. She's wearing a black floor length gown with lace long sleeves. I admire it for a moment before Stefan gets back my attention.

'So, Sierra is over with Marco. He's really drunk.'

'Wait, she is?' I'm puzzled, but he nods.

I sigh. 'Marco will be fine in a day or two.'

'You've seen him?' he asks

'Yeah, i brought him inside from the garden.'

Stefan shakes his head. 'It doesn't surprise me really.' He chuckles and i fake half a laugh. We stand there for moment in silence. I feel the awkwardness in the air. When i look up at him, he's smiling at me; a genuine, beautiful smile that makes me warm and fuzzy on the inside. My heart quickens, even though i wish it wouldn't.

'They're about to start the traditional dances, normally the headmistress and Damon will start it off; its just tradition. Will you dance with me afterwards?' he asks. My heart flutters.

'Sure' i smile. I take his arm again and he leads me back into the main hall. Around the designated dance area, all the guests are crowding around talking to one another. Stefan and i work our way to the front of the crowd so we can see.

'What dance do they do?' I ask Stefan above the noise.

He looks down at me. 'I don't know what it's called, some sort of Victorian waltz thing modernized somewhat...' He shrugs as he laughs a little and I nod. _Chances are i know it then..._

'...That's just their starting dance though. The pick a partner each and complete the dance, then they put on normal classical music for everyone to join in on. We dont have to do it.' _Thank god._

A man takes a microphone and walks into the middle of the floor. The people around me stop talking.

'Good evening Headmistress, Warriors, Staff and special attendee students...' he begins. He must be another teacher i haven't met.

'...Welcome to our first annual ball hosted by our new Headmistress!' He says enthusiastically. Everyone claps, so i join in too.

'We will begin how we usually do, with the traditional starting dances our headmistress and our chief warrior, Damon Salvatore.'

The crowd begins clapping again as Aria and Damon step on to the floor. The both greet each other with a bow and curtsy. _They really do like formalities..._ They turn away from each other and Aria walks over to one side of the room and pulls a man onto the floor with her. He has tan hair and a strong build. I've never seen him before, but he looks young.

'That's Jackson, Arias Husband.' Stefan whispers in my ear. He must've just got back from interstate. I watch them smile brightly at each other before the music begins and they start to twirl around on the floor.

I hadn't noticed that Damon was heading our way, the smirk on his face revealed what he was about to do.

I shoot him a warning look, hoping he will turn away but he doesn't. He stands in front of me and extends his hand towards me.

'Damon, dont...' Stefan says sternly before Damon has a chance to say anything.

Damon grins at me 'You know just how bad of manners it is to turn down an invitation to dance.' He states. I feel mortified. I dont want to do this. But he is right, in Victorian times you would be called an adulterer if you turned down a man to dance. It was seen as the worst of worst manners a lady could present.

I feel the stares of the people around me almost burning into my skin. I look at Damon, hoping he will see the look on my face and stop.

'Eleanor.' He says, raising his brows at me. I take a deep breath as i place my hand in his, and he leads me onto the floor. I glare at him as we begin in the basic waltz position.

'If you hand moves anywhere other than my waist, i will slaughter you right here and now, got me?' I warn him as pulls me closer to him. He laughs before we begin to waltz across the floor. My face feels like it is on fire from embarrassment, and i avert my eyes from his. He doesn't do the same, staring at me as we continue to move across the floor. _I have no idea what I'm doing!_

When i finally look up, he is still staring at me. 'Of all the women in this room you could've chosen, you picked me out of spite.'

He snorts. 'Well, it pissed Stefan off, didn't it? So i guess i achieved my goal...' he says as we begin to spin as we waltz. As i turn, i try to get a glimpse of Stefans face, but i don't stay in the one place long enough.

'I dont know what beef you've got with him, but leave me out of it. I have enough problems of my own to deal with.' I say, just before he spins me outwards away from him, then pulls me back in. It catches me off guard, but i follow along; heaps of people are watching after all.

'If you knew even half of the _beef_ Eleanor, maybe you'd understand...'

I look up at him, his face harsh and angry.

'What happened with you two?' I ask him, lowering my voice just enough for him to hear.

He shakes his head. 'It wouldn't matter; i know you have a soft spot for him.'

I frown. 'Why does everyone keep saying that? He's just nice to me; he hasn't tried to kill me...'

'He also hasn't tried to save your life.' He interrupts me. I stare at him.

'What's your point Damon? Do you want me to forgive you, is that why you picked me?' I say, getting frustrated.

He laughs. 'Everyone knows my reputation for being the _bad_ brother. Maybe I'm not as harsh as you think i am. Maybe Stefan isn't as nice as you think he is either.'

'Prove it Damon. Then maybe my opinion of you will change...'

He doesn't say anything back; we just keep dancing across the room. My feet have minds of their own; i don't even have to concentrate anymore. We keep waltzing, gliding effortlessly across the floor.

I don't get the sense of aggressiveness while I'm dancing with him. I feel remarkably at ease and comfortable. He hasn't raised his voice once. Maybe he just genuinely wants to dance with me. _Imagine that, Damon Salvatore, enjoying dancing..._

The tempo of the music quickens, and i know it must be about to finish. Damon spins me around, and i have to focus on his face to stop from getting dizzy. _Those blue eyes..._

Suddenly, I'm thrown backwards into a dip. Damons hand slips around the back of my neck to hold me from the ground, while the other grips the skin of my thigh where my dress is split; holding my leg bent at the knee in the air against him. My heart quickens from the unexpectedness of it. That's when i notice his face.

His eyes are black; the veins in his face hard. His mouth is ajar, his fangs extended. I'm held there for what seems like forever, just staring into the eternal blue of his eyes. His face is only inches away from mine. My heart pounds, adrenaline rushing through me as it did when he attacked me in the woods the other week. Yet i don't feel afraid. I feel... safe... happy...

 _That's not the H word you were looking for..._

I'm snapped out of my delicious daydream when I'm pulled back upwards. He reaches for the pendant at my neck, but my brain wont let me process it yet.

'Where did you get this?' he asks, his face softens but his fangs stay exposed.

I cant take my eyes off of his. 'Stefan gave it to me.' I say breathlessly. _What is happening...?_

I hear a growl deep within his throat before he takes his hands of me all together. My body screams, wanting him to stay holding me.

'Unbelievable' he growls, before disappearing from in front of me. Suddenly there are people surrounding me; the other dances have begun, but Damon is nowhere to be seen. I look around, frantically trying to find him. Trying to get out of the crowd, i run through the people. I get to the edge when i see the entrance doors to the hall shut, and i know Damon has left. I gather my dress from the floor in my hands and run after him.

 _I need to find out what the hell just happened..._


	14. Chapter 14

By the time i make it out the door, he's gone. Its impossible for me to run at his pace dressed like this, so i run as fast as humanly possible in heels down the corridors of the building. I feel like I'm in a fairytale, all dressed up being chased by a beast; except... I'm chasing after one...

I head straight for the common room. After a few minutes i make it there, noticing the door has been left slightly open. I let go of my dress and push it open. Damon stands with his back towards me, bracing himself against the pool table across the room. I walk towards him slowly. My heels begin to click on the wooden floor and his head snaps up.

'Get out.' He says sternly, but without raising his voice.

'Damon, what is going on?'

I hear him chuckle as he turns to face me. 'That necklace wasn't Stefans to give you.'

I frown at him.

'It belonged to me. I had no idea he had taken it, let alone given it to you.'

Surely Stefan wouldn't have done that. I don't know whether to believe him. He must've recognised the look on my face as he laughs again.

'Of course you don't believe me. I don't even know why i bother.' He turns away from me again as slams his fist against the pool table, and i see a large crack form in one of the legs. I jump unintentionally.

I can hear his breathing; each breath ending in a sort of growl. His fingers grip the edge of the table, and i can hear the wood move beneath his fingertips.

I begin to feel bad for him. I hardly know him; or Stefan, and yet i feel connected to them both. If he is telling the truth, the necklace obviously meant a great deal to him. I begin to wonder if maybe its not anger he's feeling all the time; maybe its sadness. Maybe he has trouble with his feelings...

Giving him the benefit of the doubt, i sigh. 'What's the story with the necklace, Damon?' i ask him softly.

He turns to face me again. 'Its not your business, but its not yours to keep.'

I frown. 'How am i supposed to believe its not Stefans if you don't tell me how you got it? You want me to believe you're not a completely bad person Damon, you've gotta give me something to go by...'

He stares at me, his face as harsh as ever. I raise my brows, waiting for an answer. 'Talk to me Damon.'

He averts his eyes for a moment before turning his back on me once again. 'I could just take it from you.' He says without looking at me.

I roll my eyes. 'Go on then, do it. Rip it off my neck; prove to me that you really are as much of an asshole as i think you are...' i fold my arms. If he comes near me i will kill him. Anger rises within me.

'It belonged to the woman i loved.'

My anger suddenly disappears. Its a foreign idea that someone like Damon is capable of love, or that anyone is capable of loving him. I'm puzzled. _Is he actually going to open up to me?_

'I met her back in 1864; so did Stefan.' He says quietly. 'She was unbelievable. We both thought so, even when we found out she was a vampire.'

 _Ah, this must be why he got all sensitive back in my apartment._ He turns to look at me, still leaning against the table. He folds his arms, frowning. It must be an emotion permanently implanted on his face.

'She promised she would turn me when she had decided the time was right; because she wanted us to be together forever. I was stupid enough to believe the things she said to me.'

I frown. 'What happened?'

He rolls his eyes. 'Well. At the time i didn't know she was also seeing Stefan. She promised me that we would leave town once she turned me. She was adopted by a rich family and she was able to afford it. She was my way out; but i fell for her. I thought she felt the same; that i was the only one...'

Everything starts to change. The fact that he's opening up to me; that he was able to love... its not what i expected from him.

'What has Stefan got to do with this' i ask gently, trying not to make him angry.

'I offered her that necklace, and i told her everything i felt. She gave me her blood, and told me that within the next few days she would turn me, but i had to leave her room straight away. She didn't accept it, she just told me to give it to her once we had left town, as a congratulatory gift. So i left. Later that same night, as Stefan and i walked through the town square, we were shot.'

I stand there in silence, looking at him.

'When i woke in the middle of the woods, she was nowhere to be found. But Stefan had survived. She had turned us both. She had kicked me out, because Stefan was on his way to collect her things. At the time, i had no idea they were seeing each other. Turns out she had promised us both that she would turn us; except they had planned to elope, which is why he was in the same place with me at the same time; he was about to leave. He was never meant to be shot; it was set up by her to get rid of me. But he had come to say goodbye i guess... It just happened that he had her blood in his system from the night before. He didn't love her; he loved the idea of her'

I stand there stunned at what I've been told. His face is expressionless now; blank. He looks at me, waiting for me to speak.

I shake my head. 'I don't even know what to say.'

He shrugs. 'It was a long time ago.'

'But it obviously still bothers you. You resent him.'

'I resent them both. I hate the fact that he hid it from me and lied about it, but it would never have happened if she wasn't so manipulative and evil. What i hate most is that i was weak and naive enough to believe every word she said.'

He's not a hot-head. He's broken. I realise that everything he is, is because of this event. His own brother betrayed him and broke his heart; along with the woman he loved. I understand how something like that could mess someone up.

'Who is she Damon, where is she now?'

He turns around again. 'Her name was Katerina. She was captured and burned for being found out to be a vampire. Stefan and I were long gone from that place when we heard.'

'So even after he hurt you, you stuck with him for this long?'

'He's my brother. I hate him, but i love him. We've learned to somewhat tolerate each other.'

I sigh. 'You couldn't have made something like that up...' i say to myself. 'You really loved her, didn't you?'

I see him nod slightly but he still doesn't face me. My heart fractures, my empathy smothering me. I quickly unclip the necklace and head over to him, placing it on the green felt next to his hands.

'I'm sorry Damon. No one deserves to be broken like that.' I say softly as i lean against the table, looking up at him. He looks at me out of the corner of his eye for moment before looking straight ahead again.

'I'm not really a bad person...' he says quietly.

'I know.' I watch him hold the necklace in his hand. I've been through hard times too, and i know how much it hurts to talk about it. Guilt washes over me; I've given him such a hard time, assuming he was just an ill-tempered man. Instead he's just broken; and has been since 1854. The need to hug him and stop his pain was overwhelming; instead i wrap my hand around his forearm. I feel him stiffen and i instantly let go. _Don't cross lines... keep the clear... make it known what you want..._

I don't know what i want anymore.

'If i had known...'

He finally looks at me. 'Known what? That i was weak and let myself feel? That I've held a grudge against myself and my brother for 150 years? It wouldn't have made a difference Eleanor; you would still think the same of Stefan...'

I shake my head. 'I think Stefan has some explaining to do. I don't know what to think of him at the moment...'

'I admit, I've been rude and awful to you; but it wasn't because of you. I genuinely apologise for it all, and taking off after the dance.'

I half smile at him. 'Its fine. Really, we all have our moments.'

For the first time, he genuinely smiles at me. A smile that lightens his blue eyes, that would make anyone automatically want to smile back. He looks away quickly.

'I'm sorry for leaving out that detail the other night. I hope you didn't feel too awful the next day.'

I laugh. 'I felt terrible, actually. But its fine; I probably should've thought it through more before i bit you...' i shake my head, laughing as i recall last weeks' incidents. I had never felt so sick in my life after that night.

'You what!' A voice shouts behind me. I turn around quickly to see Stefan in the room, with the rest of the pack walking in a few moments later.

 _Fuck._

His face is glowing with anger, his eyes as black as possible with veins hard as rock. My heart speeds up as i begin to panic.

'Oh, shit...' Marco says drowsily.

'Stefan, just don't okay. Its not...'

He growls, storming towards us. I run forward, pushing him backwards. 'Stefan, do not start a fight, just listen for a moment...' i beg, using the strength i have to hold him back.

'Brother, i wouldn't.' Damon says calmly from behind me. As Stefan pushes against me, my heels begin to slide on the floor. Loosing grip, i step aside to regain balance. Within that moment, he keeps walking towards Damon.

I regain control and grab his arm, dragging him back. 'Stefan, listen to me!' i shout, but his mood has taken over. Vampires have this mood switch; if its flicked, there's no going back, and Stefans was flicked. Suddenly I'm sent flying backwards, and before i know what's happened i slam into the wooden floor by the couch. Stefan has sent me hurdling across the entire room.

I hear the pack snarl as i catch my breath and try to sit upright, my ribs ache and i know at least one of them is broken. I wince, focusing my eyes on the scene before me. Stefan thrusts his fist into Damons' cheek, sending him sideways. Damon doesn't even seem to flinch, he simply took it. He hits the ground hard, and i try to shout to stop but the pain in my side sears through me. Stefan lunges towards him, fangs bared, and i cant do anything but watch. Its pure rage Stefan is in, and i know that if he doesn't stop, he will kill Damon.

Before Stefan lands another punch, Damon kicks him in the stomach, sending him flying into the pool table. It breaks as he falls through it, splinters and pool balls sent everywhere.

Suddenly, they're both a blur and all i can hear is growling and skin connecting. I sit there on the ground, hoping my ribs will snap back into place soon so i can stop this. I look at the pack, hoping that theyll stop this; but i know they wont. Fights like this are times no one else can physically get involved. I suppose its a dominance thing. They stand in the door way, watching as their friends fight with each other; unable to help.

The pain in my side skyrockets, and i cry out as i feel at least 2 ribs reset. Stefan looks at me for half a moment, but it was long enough for Damon to pin him against a wall at the neck.

'Enough!' i scream, finally standing from the ground.

'You cant help yourself can you, you arrogant manipulative bastard...' Stefan hisses at Damon, struggling for air.

'Damon let him go for Christs sake!' i begin to walk towards them, but Damon glares at me and points, telling me not to move. He looks back at Stefan as he pulls his head back, then slams it into the wall behind him.

'Damon!'

Stefan laughs. 'You'll be expelled for this Damon, for forcing her to do this...'

'You think i forced her? You're dafter than i thought.' Damon spits, finally letting go if Stefans neck.

Stefan looks at me, and i can see the hurt in his eyes. 'You bit him?' he asks, astounded.

I sigh. 'I told you to listen to me, instead you started doing...that...' i wave my hand towards the destroyed pool table.

'Why would you do that? What did he say to make you do that?' Stefan makes his way over to me, his face saddening.

I give him a sad smile. 'Nothing, Stefan. But i had to feed...'

'On him? There's no such thing...'

'There is. And it worked; and its the reason I haven't starved to death.'

He shakes his head. 'You didn't have to do that Eleanor, we would've found a way...'

'There was no other way.'

'You didn't have to use _him_...' He grabs my arms, pulling me towards him. I wince as the remnants of pain in my side explode again.

'Stefan, I'm sorry. its not a big deal...'

'First he bites you, then you bite him back? Jesus Christ Eleanor...' he pulls back, running his fingers through his hair. he glares at Damon.

'i will kill you for this.' He spits, beginning to pace.

'Stefan, why did you steal damons necklace?' i ask him, my anger growing.

His head snaps towards me, then to Damon. 'You told her?'

He says it likes it a huge unbelievable surprise that Damon told me; and maybe it is. I imagine Damon doesn't open up a lot, and for him to open up to me; someone he doesn't really know, would've taken guts.

Damon doesn't respond, and Stefan shakes his head. 'Believe what you want, but if you stick with him, youll end up dead. Just like Katerina did...' he glares at Damon before walking out of the room.

 _Just like Katerina did?_ Was Damon lying to me?

I press my fingers to my forehead. I cant process any of this right now. Damon appears by my side, but i don't realise until be presses his fingers over my ribs.

'Ouch!' I spin around, smacking his hand away from my side.

'They've set back in place; the pain should be gone in a few hours.' He says simply. I look up at him. His nose is bleeding and he has several cuts on his shoulders and arms from the wood of the pool table. He doesn't look angry anymore; he looks sad. Before i get a chance to ask if he's okay, he walks away from me and up the stairs.

'Damon...' i call after him but he disappears.

I stand there trying to comprehend everything that's gone on today. I look down at my dress which is luckily still intact. Daniel walks over to me.

'Are you alright?' he puts his hand on my shoulder.

'I'm fine. I'm okay... what's he doing?' i tilt my head in the direction Damon went.

'He blames himself for Katerinas death. It was his father that did it; he doesn't like to be reminded of it. He's probably just going to sleep that's all...'

 _Oh. I guess that would make sense..._ I don't understand why Damon would blame himself if it was in fact his own father that did it, but i make a mental note not to bring it up again. I know enough, and i don't want to hurt him further.

I nod.

'Are you sure youre okay?' he asks me. The rest of the pack join us, all showing their concern.

'Yes I'm fine. Really. Wheres Stefan, i need to talk to him...'

Louis takes my arm. 'I wouldn't just yet. He'll be hurting; he needs time.'

I look up at him. 'I swear, i only did it to feed. It meant nothing...' i try to convince him. I feel tears begin to prick in my eyes and i try to hold them back.

He nods. 'We know. I'll take you back to your room.'

Today has been too much. As i begin to cry, Louis wraps his arms around me in a comforting hug, and i feel calm...


	15. Chapter 15

'Eleanor...'

I wake to the sound of someone calling my name. My eyes flutter open.

'Hey there. You literally fell asleep in Louis arms...'

Marco sits beside me. Waking up with men near me seems to happen a lot more often than it should...

'I did?'

'Yeah, you know how he is; all shy and stuff... Daniel brought you back here and got you all set.'

I look down, noticing my red dress has been replaced by a black singlet and grey tracksuit pants. I sit up, startled.

'It was Daniel, don't worry, he's strictly men only...' Marco laughs.

I rub my arms. 'Still.' I look around and notice Daniel sitting on one of the couches in my room. He smiles at me. 'Thanks' i laugh a little, pushing the thought of that from my brain.

'What time is it? Where is everyone?'

'Its 8am, and they're all off getting ready for their days.'

'Shit! I need to get up and stuff...' i say, quickly pulling off the duvet. Last nights events replay in my head so vividly.

'Whoa, hey, chill.' Marco says, putting pressure on my shoulder to stop me moving. 'Stefan is fine. He went off to feed.'

I look at him. 'Where's Damon?'

His brows twitch. 'He's fine too...'

I frown at him. 'What's that look for?'

'Since when do you care about Damon?'

I glare at him. 'You're outta line Marco.' I stand from the bed and head to my wardrobe, there's no way I'm going anywhere dressed like this.

'I'm just saying... He nearly killed you remember? Why would you even...'

I cut him off. 'How would you like it if you constantly got given a bad name just because you acted out because you were broken on the inside?' I snap, searching through my closet for clothes.

'Eleanor that doesn't even make sense...' Marco begins but i glare at him again.

Daniel stands from the couch, arms folded. 'You're defending him; you like him don't you?' The smile spreads across his face.

I roll my eyes. 'No. I've just learned my lesson that looks can be deceiving...'

'You do!' he squeals. 'You have a thing for Damon...'

'No! Look don't be silly, I've been too harsh on him with no justification. I had no idea what he's been through. I just need to chill out a bit more...'

'Did you smash your head against the floor last night?!' Marco says loudly, a look of disgust on his face. 'Its Damon! I mean, sure we have to follow him; he's our leader, but no one _likes_ him...'

I ignore their comments as i quickly change. I rip off my singlet without even checking if i had underwear on; luckily i did. Marco whistles behind be but i ignore that too. I just want to get out of here. I pull on a pair of jeans and a simple black pair of heels.

'Eleanor are you sure you know what youre getting yourself into?' Daniel asks, his face softening.

I sigh as i glance at him. 'I'm not getting myself into anything. I'm not even doing anything. I don't know Damon or Stefan that well and i definitely don't need a distraction like either of them...'

'Well, damn Elle, i could sure use a distraction like Stefan...' Daniel says, oozing with suggestiveness.

I glare at him. 'Did you just call me Elle?' no one has called me Elle before' I'm not sure i like it. I shake my head, trying to change the subject. 'I am going now. Thanks for staying with me, that's very kind.' I head for the door.

'Where are you going?' Marco asks, trying to get an answer before i leave. I keep walking.

'I'm going to see Damon. Don't follow me, and don't talk about me behind my back...' i call out from behind me as i head down the corridor.

I knock on the door of the common room and the door quickly opens. Louis smiles at me but says nothing. I smile apologetically at him.

'Louis I'm sorry if i made you uncomfortable last night. I will personally wash your suit shirt if i stained it.'

He shakes his head. 'Its fine.' He says quietly before inviting me in. I notice Roman on the couch and i give him a little wave as i head upstairs.

I reach the top landing and stop. This area is a lot bigger than i thought. The corridor has 6 doors on the left side and 3 on the other.

'Whoa.' I say to myself as i walk down the hall. Almost every door on the left is open, except for one. I walk up to it and knock, assuming this must be damons room.

'Yeah.' A voice calls from inside.

I slowly open the door and head inside; where Damon is nowhere to be seen. I look around, admiring the room. A four-poster bed like mine sits against one wall and two doors sit on the other side of the room. It looks like a bathroom and a walk in robe. The ceiling is painted black, which looks really unusual in contrast to the white walls.

'What are you doing here?'

I turn around to see Damon in the doorway of his closet. He's frowning.

'I just came to see how you were after yesterday...'

'I'm fine, why wouldn't i be? You can leave now...' He heads back into the robe.

I slowly walk over to the doorway. 'Damon.' He's pushing shirts and jackets on hangers across the rail, like he's looking for something.

I sigh as i lean against the door frame. 'Damon, Louis told me about your father.' I say softly, trying not to anger him. I told myself i wouldn't bring it up; but curiosity will kill me if i don't. He looks over his shoulder at me.

'He had no right to tell you that...'

'It's not your fault...'

'It's every bit my fault. Can you please leave, I'm busy...' he snaps, directing his attention to another rail in his closet.

'You opened up to me yesterday, why cant you do the same today...?'

'I had no reason to tell you what i did yesterday. Everything that happened was a mistake.' He walks towards me, quickly slipping his hand around my waist. I gasp, before he quickly moves me aside so he can walk back into his bedroom. i look at him.

'Damon i need to know everything; so when i go to Stefan and get his version i have all the facts.'

'You don't need the facts Eleanor! The only fact you need is the fact that it's fucked me up so bad, i am the way i am today because of it; and no one cares. I can't change, and if you think you can make me, you're just daft as Stefan...' He snaps at me.

We stare at each other for a moment. I see the sadness in his eyes.

'Damon, why on earth would you think no one cares about you?'

He shakes his head. 'I don't care about anyone else; no one has any reason to.' He begins opening draws of his nightstand.

'I do.'

'Well don't. Youll end up like her.' He spits, slamming each draw as he finishes.

'I'm nothing like her!' i yell, catching him off guard. He looks at me. 'I'm a million times better than her. I'm insulted if you think id even be capable of doing anything she did.' I frown.

He shakes his head again, continuing to rummage around through his draws.

'What the hell are you looking for!?' i shout again. I didn't realise i hadn't changed my tone. He doesn't stop, i watch him throw pair after pair of socks out of this draw onto the floor.

'Damn it Damon, do you not even have the decency to show me some respect when I'm talking to you? I'm trying to show you...'

In an instant i freeze. Damon becomes a blur in front of me, and then his lips are pressed against mine, his hands either side of my face dragging my upwards to reach him. In that moment, i don't know whether to push him away, or pull him closer. _What is going on?!_

My body instinctively relaxes as i place my hands on his waist. I let him kiss me, i want him to. Part of me knows I've always wanted him to.

I cant feel like this  
I don't want to feel like this  
But i do...

I kiss him back, his fingers tangling through my hair as he pulls me closer. I relish the feelings he gives me; this moment i feel safe and protected, yet i don't know why. He tastes like coffee and mint... _and him._ I slide my hands up his back, losing count of how many perfectly hard muscles i cruise over. I place my hands over the backs of his shoulders, beginning to make my way down his arms. _Oh i want to touch those arms..._

Just as I'm about to, a hand in my hair pulls my head backwards to look at him; just like he did when i fed on him. I watch the veins in his face quickly disappear and his eyes fade from black to blue. I stare at him breathlessly, admiring every defined curve in his face and jaw line. I'm speechless.  
I hadn't noticed his other hand on my hip until he pulled me closer to him again. I feel it find a sturdy place on the small of my back, as he gently leans me backwards. His hand tilts my head back further, making my hair fall away from my neck, exposing it completely. I know what's coming, I'm sure of it. I mentally brace myself for the pain of the bite. I cant move, and i can only just see his face. His lips are parted, fangs slightly visible. His breathing as heavy as mine; if not heavier. He brings his face to my neck, and i see his lips pull back over his fangs; but veins never appear under his eyes. My heart quickens and i close my eyes in preparation.

I feel him kiss the skin of my neck, and suddenly I'm left standing upright in the middle of the room. I spin around.

 _That bastard._ He's gone. He's stirring me up. I feel pissed off, but i cant stop smiling. He did it on purpose. _He's playing the game._ I head back downstairs quickly, hoping to find Damon there with the boys. I reach the bottom when i notice he's not there; the main doors hang open. I look at Louis and Roman, the confused look on their faces makes me laugh.

'Where'd he take off to in a hurry?' Roman asks me.

I try with everything in me not to giggle, but i do. 'I, uh, i don't know.'

'Is everything... okay?'

I smile, more than i should. 'Yeah, everythings... fine'

I take off quickly after him, hoping those two didn't hear what happened between us upstairs...


End file.
